


Dragon's Treason

by Lunnaire



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: After Thread, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, F/M, M/M, Post Ninth Pass, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:44:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 69,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunnaire/pseuds/Lunnaire
Summary: A century after the end of Thread, the weyrs struggle to find their new purpose. Turmoil stirs in Pern, as holders are no longer content to support the riders and their dragons. Some riders believe they should be ruling Pern, creating dissent among those they should be calling allies. Every Pernese knows one thing, deep down inside: change is inevitable, for better or for worse.





	1. One Search, One Chance of a Lifetime

_Day 18, Month 4, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Clouds drifted through the sky, small white puffs against the splashes of blue. Flowers were just beginning to blossom, joining the trees in returning the green to Pern. Spring was here, and the entire planet was prospering. Asha had managed to slip away from the farm to take a moment to enjoy nature. She had gotten her runner, and rode off to the outskirts of their land to get a moment to herself. The farm had been very busy, with the new growing season.

Asha was content to lay down on the grass, gazing at the sky as her runner grazed a little ways away, ground tied. She had been here for about an hour now, just relaxing and watching the clouds inch by. A warm breeze tugged at her clothes and stray strands of hair. Her eyelids began to droop, as the coziness made her drowsy. It would be so nice to just take a little nap right here…

But right as her eyelids were about to flutter closed, color flashed. Her eyes shot open, and she jerked upright. There, blocking out the sun, was a bronze dragon. He was so massive, she could see him pretty clearly even at a distance. A moment later, another dragon blinked to existence, swaying a little away from the bronze. This dragon was still fairly large, but his hide gleamed brown in the sunlight. Then, the two dragons took off, flying in the direction the farm was.

Dragons… going to the farm. That only meant one thing. They were on a Search. This had happened once before, when her brother T'kan had been chosen as a candidate. He was now a bronzerider of Fort Weyr. She needed to get home, and  _fast_. Asha scrambled to her feet, rushing over to her runner. She hopped into the saddle, and immediately launched off at a gallop.

Regardless, it still took a couple of minutes to get back to the farm. She slowed her runner to a canter, and then quickly pulled the mare to a halt next to the paddock. Rylan immediately came rushing over to take the reins as she hopped down from the saddle. The two dragons sat on the other side of the yard, closer to the front gates of the farm. Bright turquoise eyes watched them with curiosity.

"Whoa girl, steady there," Rylan said, patting the runner on the neck as he tried to get her to calm down.

"Rylan!" Asha turned towards him. "The riders—where are they?"

Rylan was the same age as her—nineteen. He'd been working as a farmhand for her family since he was nine years old. There wasn't anything particularly special about him. He stood at about average height, and even though he worked on a farm, his muscles weren't particularly special. His brown hair was just growing out of a haircut, the waves falling down into his face, and he had brown eyes. His tunic, which had once been white, was now a pale beige color, smudged with as much dirt as his brown trousers. Still, Rylan was a reliable young man, and Asha would be lying if she said she wasn't fond of him in some sense. Without their…  _liaisons_  in the barn, she might have gone crazy from stress a long time ago.

"Oh." For some reason, Rylan sounded… disappointed. "They went inside to speak with your parents. Kirana jumped on them fast. If she batted her eyelashes any faster, they'd fall out."

Asha fought the urge to groan.  _Of course_  her sister would be all over the dragonriders. As T'kan often said, Kirana acted like a green in heat. She was flirtatious to a fault. Everyone in their village knew that she was sleeping with Byrne, the rich merchant who basically kept their village in business. But Asha didn't dislike her sister because of  _that_. No, she disliked Kirana because of the scar she had carved into the left side of her face, barely missing her eye.

"No surprise there," she muttered under her breath. "Did the riders say why they're here?"

He hesitated, before nodding. "Yeah. They're on a Search. For a gold egg."

Asha's eyes widened. "A queen? There hasn't been a queen egg for seven years…"  _This could be my chance to get out of here._

Rylan stroked the runner on the neck, his gaze flickering down to the ground. "...You're thinking of volunteering to be a candidate, aren't you?"

She frowned. "Yes… why not? This place…" She waved around at the farm. "...doesn't really need me."

There was more to it than that, of course. Asha wasn't happy with her life on her parents' farm. For one, she had never had the best relationship with her sister. When her brother left, she had no one left to look out for her. Simply put, her sister made her life living hell. No one wanted to marry Kirana with her promiscuous reputation and no one wanted to marry Asha because of the scar marring her face. Thankfully, Pern was slowly pulling itself out of its old-fashioned ways, but still so many people clung to the past. The dragonriders had always been so open and accepting, and that drew Asha to them.

"I-" Rylan quickly cut himself off, once again returning his attention to the runner. "Never mind. If you're that interested, you should go inside before Kirana steals your chance."

"Uh, all right." She gave her runner one final pat on the shoulder before turning to leave. "Wish me luck!"

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Asha headed for the house. She scaled the front steps, opened the door, and stepped inside—perhaps all too quickly. Five pairs of eyes were suddenly on her. As the door clicked shut behind her, she couldn't help but balk. All of the confidence she had felt just moments ago drained right out of her.

"Um… sorry if I interrupted, but…" Her blue-grey gaze flickered to the two riders.

Well, they weren't what she was expecting.

She briefly glanced over the first rider. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, standing not especially tall, but built muscular and stocky. He reminded her of a brick wall; this man was made of pure muscle. His sandy blond hair was cut short on the top, with the sides shaved—a undercut—and his eyes were brown. His jaw was very square, rough with stubble that ended in a neatly trimmed goatee. He was dressed to fly, wearing a dark brown fleece-lined jacket, a white turtleneck sweater, brown trousers, and leather hiking boots. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way.

The second rider she actually had to  _look up_  to see his face. Also appearing to be in his mid-twenties, he was tall and lanky, towering above them all. He was obviously muscular, but in a more lean, wiry way; he was built more for dexterity than strength. His black hair fell down towards his deep blue eyes in waves, nearly falling into them, and his skin was bronzed with tan. He was clean shaven, unlike his companion. He was also dressed to fly, though his jacket was black, he wore a loosely fitting white tunic, black trousers, and leather boots. Handsome was too weak of a word to describe him. Something about him was just…  _captivating_. She found herself staring at him  _just a little_.

"Did you come here because  _Rylan_  told you there's a queen egg?" Kirana's snide voice snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly looked away from the attractive rider.

"...Yes," she said stiffly. "I thought I might volunteer."

Seeing her sister was always a glaring reminder of how different they were. Kirana was everything she was not. She was  _beautiful_ , like their mother. Her red-gold tresses fell down to the small of her back, braids woven around the sides of her head. Her complexion was fair; she burned very easily. The only trait the sisters shared were their blue-gray eyes. Kirana was slightly shorter than her, but she had a voluptuous figure that filled out her periwinkle blue dress very well.

Kirana rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. "You really think  _you'd_  Impress a queen, Asha? Don't make me laugh."

One would think that by now, Asha would be used to her sister's biting words. But they still cut deep. They still made her flinch. They still made her question her decision her choice to even come here to speak with the riders. Mother opened her mouth, most likely to reprimand her eldest daughter for being so rude, but she was cut to the chase.

"...You don't know that."

Asha looked up to see that the taller rider had spoken. His voice was surprisingly calm, smooth like honey. And it turned her insides to jelly.

"I am J'lan, rider of bronze Romanoth," he said, ignoring the insulted look Kirana gave him. "My friend and I came here on the Search for potential queenriders."

The shorter rider nodded. "Yep. I'm C'zar, rider of brown Yezmuth." He flashed a cheerful smile. "You're Asha, right? Well, the more the merrier, I always say. If your folks are okay with it, you're welcome to come with us as well."

 _As well?_  Of course they agreed to let Kirana go. She looked like queen material, unlike Asha. Plus that meant her parents could finally get rid of the most problematic member of the family. As much as she wanted to get away from her sister… the idea of bonding with a dragon… of leaving home forever… it was so much more appealing. For once, she wanted to do something for herself. For once, she wanted to do something her sister had no influence over.

"Can I?" Asha asked, looking towards her parents. "Please? I know you need someone to take over the farm someday, but… I… I want to do this."

They exchanged looks. After a moment, Father closed his eyes and nodded. Mother gave a soft sigh, before turning towards them.

"All right, Asha… if this is what you truly want. We won't stop you. You're a grown woman now." Mother smiled sadly. "But if doesn't work out, both you and Kirana are always welcome back home."

Her eyes widened. "Really? I can really go?"

Father chuckled softly, giving her his own sad smile. "Yes, really. Now go pack your things. You too, Kirana. Don't keep the dragonriders waiting."

"Don't worry about it, we're in no rush," C'zar said with a light laugh. "We'll be out waiting with Yezmuth and Romanoth. Make sure you have everything you want to bring."

J'lan nodded. "Thank you for being so supportive of the Weyrs. Not many are still so… accepting."

It was true. A century ago, Thread had been permanently eliminated thanks to the discovery of AIVAS. For a hundred years, the Weyrs no longer had a purpose. Tensions between the Weyrs and Holds had only increased drastically in the recent years. No one really knew what the future would bring for either group. All Asha knew was that something about Pern had to change.

"You and your dragons saved the world," Father said. "It's the least we can do to support you."

"Well, you have our utmost gratitude," J'lan said, turning towards the door. "Let's go, C'zar. We shouldn't distract them any further."

C'zar nodded. "Right. Well, you know where to find us when you're ready, ladies!"

Asha hastily moved out of the way as J'lan walked towards the door. The two riders left the house, C'zar giving a way goodbye as he stepped through the door. As soon as it clicked shut behind them, Kirana whirled around towards her. But Asha ignored her. She didn't want to fight. Before her sister could open her mouth, she made for the stairs and hurried to her bedroom.

She always knew she would be leaving this farm permanently one way or another. And now she had finally found the opportunity. She  _would_  make the best of this. She wouldn't let her sister ruin it for her. She refused.

For once, the future looked good.


	2. Benden's Dilemma

_Day 18, Month 4, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

The journey to Benden Weyr went surprisingly quickly. C'zar, who Asha rode with on Yezmuth, explained they would be going  _between_  to teleport all the way back to the weyr. Asha hadn't really been prepared for the shocking cold and blackness, but it was over almost as soon as it started. They appeared right above a massive lake, adding color to an otherwise plain bowl of sand. As Yezmuth was about to veer to the left, Asha spotted the golden queen.

There, on the sands, in a closed off area, was the queen. She was curled up, one of her sail-like wings draped over a few of the large eggs spread out over the sand. They were all sorts of colors—mostly blues and greens, with the occasional brown, and a couple of bronze. But the gold egg was nowhere to be seen, which made Asha guess that it was tucked away under its mother's wing.

"Wait," Asha said, before Yezmuth could begin his descent. "Those are the eggs, right?"

"Huh?" C'zar glanced back towards where she gestured. "Oh yeah, that's the Hatching Ground. Good ol' Serelath is keeping watch. She's not our biggest queen, but she's the senior."

"You have more than one queen?" she asked in surprise.

"Yep! I'll tell you more in a sec. We better land before we make J'lan, Romanoth, and your sister wait any longer."

Yezmuth tucked in his wings, dropping closer to the ground, before carefully landing his large form. Asha released her hold on C'zar as he began to unstrap himself from the saddle. She carefully slid down Yezmuth's klah brown hide. A few feet away, Romanoth crouched, as J'lan helped Kirana get down from the saddle. It was a bit shocking seeing the size difference between the brown and the bronze. Asha only really knew Behemeth, T'kan's bronze, but Romanoth was even larger than him.

She hesitated, unsure of what to do, glancing around and taking in the new scenery. She had to say, the weyr was beautiful. She spotted some dragons basking, their wings spread out to take in the sun. Some were lounging in their weyrs, sticking their heads out to watch what was going on in the Bowl. Some weyrfolk were walking about, carrying baskets of food or laundry or just moving through the weyr. Asha wasn't sure what she was expecting, but everything seemed so… normal. It was just another day in Benden Weyr. For all the rumors about the tensions between holders and weyrfolk, everything seemed awfully calm.

Right as C'zar rejoined her, Kirana's shrill voice yanked her out of her awe.

"I have a question, J'lan. Is it true that… only  _bronze_  dragons are able to catch the queens when they rise to mate?"

...For the love of—what was she getting at?

J'lan, however, did not seem very amused. In fact, he didn't seem to react at all. Did this guy even have any emotions? C'zar had proven to be very friendly and jovial. His friend, not so much. Asha was certain J'lan had only spoken three full sentences at  _most_  since they first met.

"...Not always." J'lan couldn't look any more indifferent. "Our current Weyrleader has a brown."

"Yeah, man!" C'zar cheered, as he walked over to join them, leaving Asha to hurry after him. "And he's your brother! J'lor and Rionneleth are great. Everybody was seriously shocked when Rionneleth caught Serelath, but I wasn't surprised. Rionneleth's just as big as a bronze. Benden's known to have some pretty massive dragons, ever since Ramoth, Mnementh, and Canth during the Ninth Pass. With how big this new queen egg is, we're thinking she may break the records too."

"Yes," J'lan agreed. "But moving on, we shouldn't leave the Weyrlingmaster waiting."

Before anyone else could say another word, J'lan had turned his back to them and began walking away. Romanoth, too, began to stand, like he was preparing to leave.

C'zar let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Don't mind him. J'lan's not the best with conversation. It's always  _business, business, business_  with him. But he's right. You need to meet the Weyrlingmaster and the other candidates."

Asha nodded. Kirana, on the other hand, gave an indignant huff. Her usual flirting method clearly would not work on J'lan, rider of bronze Romanoth.  _Boohoo_. Ignoring her sister as much as she could, Asha followed C'zar as he headed after J'lan. Once they were a safe distance away, the two dragons launched themselves back into the air, most likely returning to their respective weyrs.

A few minutes later, they had entered the lower caverns. Asha couldn't help but look around in awe at the perfectly smooth stone walls. The hallways were expansive, eliminating any feeling of being closed in. The air smelled fresh and clean, like they were still outside. They passed a few people in the hallways, all who greeted C'zar and J'lan. C'zar would always return the greetings cheerfully, with a short wave, while J'lan would simply nod to them. She noticed a few firelizards flying about, carrying tiny rolls of paper in their claws. It really was just another day here.

Finally, they stepped out into a room. It was fairly large, still on the ground floor, with a rather odd shape, but it worked. Patterned quilts hung on the walls, adding color to the otherwise drab interior. Single beds lined the walls, reminding her of a barracks. In the center of the room was a circular wooden table, where a bunch of youth, ranging from as young as twelve to early twenties, sat, listening to the middle-aged man who was walking back and forth, instructing them.

"Hey! Y'gan!" C'zar called to him, waving. "We've got more candidates for you!"

The man, this Y'gan, paused, looking over towards them, as did the other candidates. He frowned for a moment, like he was trying to interpret C'zar's cheeky grin, before shaking his head and resting a hand on his hip.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, C'zar," he said, his tone stern, but amusement twinkled in his hazel eyes. "J'lan, how do you put up with this deadglow?"

A faint smile tugged at J'lan's lips, the most emotion he had shown all day. "I don't know. He kind of just sticks to me. Can't get rid of him."

"Hey man, I'm  _right_  here, you know," C'zar protested, dramatically putting his hands on his hips.

Y'gan chuckled. "I'll be right back, candidates." With that, he excused himself from the young people and walked up to where they stood at the entrance. "Well! Welcome to Benden. I am Y'gan, Weyrlingmaster and rider of blue Nerenth. Are you two ladies here for the queen egg or the hatching in general?"

"The  _queen_  of course," Kirana said with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "A green isn't even  _worthy_  of me."

Ugh. Could she be any more conceited? Probably not.

"...Right," Y'gan said, not sounding convinced. He was an older man who had to be in his late forties, early fifties. It was hard to tell. His neatly cut down hair was peppered with grey, his tanned skin was weathered from both age and being out in the sun, and his hazel eyes had a wise, but stern gleam to them. He was tall and broad-shouldered, looking quite fit for his age. He wore a blue tunic with a leather vest over it, brown trousers, and leather boots. "Well, what are your names?"

"I'm Asha, and she's Kirana," Asha quickly said before her sister could open her mouth for another haughty comment.

Y'gan nodded. "Well, I said this before, but welcome to Benden, Asha, Kirana. We're happy to have you, regardless of who you Impress." He looked over at C'zar and J'lan. "I'll take over from here, boys. Good job finding more candidates."

"It was our honor," J'lan said, giving a nod. "We need to report to J'lor now anyways. Let's go, C'zar."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," C'zar snorted as his friend turned to leave. "But hey, if you two ever need anything, just hit me up. Yezmuth and I are happy to help new riders in any way we can."

"Well, you're not helping them by hogging the conversation," Y'gan said dryly. "Shoo! Go do your reporting to the Weyrleader."

C'zar raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'm going. See you later, ladies!"

He gave one last wave, before turning heel and heading after J'lan, who was already halfway down the hallway, almost out of view.

"...He's nice," Asha said after a moment, once both men had disappeared out of view.

Y'gan snorted. "Watch that one. C'zar's a good kid, don't get me wrong. But he gets a bit too excited whenever more female riders join us, if you know what I mean." He turned around. "But now that we have all the candidates for the queen egg, I should have you all meet and have a private briefing on the current situation here in the weyr."

_...Right. C'zar never got to tell me the rest about the queens._

The Weyrlingmaster gestured for them to follow him, so they did. There was still quite a bit to do today, apparently.

* * *

First, they were shown to their beds, where they would sleep as long as they were candidates. Asha was relieved to finally put down her pack. Then Y'gan gave them a quick tour of the weyr, showing them various places, explaining to them how the weyr worked when they passed caverns they didn't necessarily have to go to. Benden Weyr was beautiful. Asha didn't remember much from the time her family went to Fort Weyr to watch her brother's Impression. But Benden gave her a… warmer feel. The design, the atmosphere, the people—something about them just seemed friendlier.  _Homier_.

She could get used to living here.

It wasn't until they reached the refectory that Y'gan decided to stop. Asha's stomach growled loudly at the delicious aromas wafting from the cooking fires. And now they were sitting at one of the tables, after Y'gan sent his green firelizard with a note for the other queen candidates. He decided they might as well have their little meeting now, while snacking on some bread rolls and fresh fruit the cook gave them. Asha had never drank much klah, but now she welcomed the warm drink.

It didn't take long for the others to join them. Asha wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it was more than two girls. Y'gan introduced them as soon as they arrived.

The first girl was named Phoebe. She had to be around Asha's age, maybe a year or so older. She stood slightly taller, with broad shoulders and a thick build. She probably was just as curvaceous as Kirana, but her heavier bones structure didn't make her look it. She had messy, slightly wavy auburn hair pulled back into a tight high ponytail, and brown eyes. But what stood out about her the most was her freckles; they were  _everywhere_. Her fair skin was speckled, freckles splashed all over her face, the back of her neck, her collarbone, and almost every other inch of skin she showed. Some may say that made her ugly, but Asha disagreed. She had a unique beauty about her. It was different from the standards society had set.

The second girl was named Velda, and she was everything a girl wanted to be. She was short and petite, yet she had that almost unobtainable hourglass figure. Her hair was sleek and smooth, the whitest shade of blonde, falling all the way down to her waist. She had a pale complexion, and her eyes were a cold shade of blue. She had plump lips and a up-turned nose and… ugh. She was prettier than Kirana. If anyone looked suited for Impressing a gold, it was her.

Velda had sat next to Kirana, and Phoebe took the seat next to Asha, with Y'gan at the head of the table. Asha sipped her klah, waiting for the Weyrlingmaster to begin.

"Well, as you all probably know, less and less queen eggs are laid as each year goes by," Y'gan said, clasping his hands together on the table. "Here in Benden, we have the most queens. First there's our Senior Weyrwoman, Octavia, and her gold, Serelath. I'm sure you've seen her on the Hatching Ground. Next in seniority is Lorelei and her gold, Vanth. Lorelei is an outsider, actually. She was… sent from Fort Weyr to aid us when Octavia became pregnant for the first time. She… decided to stay with us ever since. Our other Junior Weyrwoman is Kasa, and her gold, Myrlith. Myrlith's egg was the only gold egg we've had laid for seven years, until now."

_Octavia… Lorelei… Kasa._  They would all be above her in seniority if she was lucky enough to Impress the gold.

"Didn't you say there was a… situation?" Phoebe asked after a moment of hesitation.

Y'gan grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. "A bit of one. You see, queens are laying clutches less and less now, all across Pern. We believe it's because of the lack of Thread. But Serelath… This clutch is only her second, out of Octavia's entire career as Weyrwoman. Meanwhile, Vanth rises more consistently, about every two years, but hasn't produced any gold eggs. Myrlith seems to have a pattern of every three years. Because of this, Lorelei believes she should be Senior Weyrwoman, as Vanth is the most fertile. But if I may be blunt—almost everyone in a leadership position here agrees that Lorelei should not be given that power. We're  _hoping_  that this new queen will be consistent enough to lay a clutch every year, so we can override Lorelei's claim."

...Oh. Asha hadn't considered how heavily involved a Weyrwoman would be in keeping the population of the weyr going strong. It made sense, of course. She didn't quite understand how all of this worked yet, but if she did Impress the queen, she'd have time to figure it all out. T'kan had mentioned once that it took three years for golds to reach full maturity in one of his letters.

"Well, I know  _I'm_  the perfect choice," Kirana said, brushing her hair behind her back.

"Sweetheart, please." Velda rolled her eyes. "I am the daughter of a  _Lord Holder_. I have been  _bred_  for this."

...Great. There were  _two_  of them now.

Asha returned her attention to Y'gan. "Is there anything else we should know?"

Y'gan pursed his lips. "Nothing you don't already know, or that I won't be debriefing with the rest of the candidates. If you have any questions, I can answer them while we finish the snacks up."

* * *

It was time for the debriefing.

After they cleaned up the food, Y'gan brought them back to the candidate barracks. Then, they joined the other candidates at the table. Phoebe had stayed close to Asha, but she didn't mind. She seemed a lot nicer than either of the two other girls. They needed to stick together and avoid the bullies. They sat together at the table, while Kirana and Velda, unsurprisingly, did the same. The other candidates were a ragtag mix of boys and girls, both holder and weyrbred.

Y'gan stood before them, hands clasped together behind his back. "Tomorrow, you all will venture out onto the Hatching Grounds to see if you will be lucky enough to Impress a dragon and join our ranks here in Benden Weyr. As exciting as it sounds, a hatching is also extremely dangerous. A dragonet is typically the size of a large dog, with some reaching the size of ponies. They will be in distress. And they may unintentionally harm you."

The candidates grew still. Some exchanged looks. Others had wide eyes. Asha fought the urge to roll her eyes.  _Of course_  it would be dangerous. She had been there when her brother Impressed his dragon. Blood had been shed. It hadn't been too serious, but some people did get hurt. The dragons didn't mean it. They were just desperate to find their bondmates. If they didn't, they would… die.

"Maulings happen," Y'gan continued grimly. "Candidates have died before. So please, don't be reckless. If a dragonet is not responding well to you, please don't push it. We don't want any casualties. We want you all to come out safe and sound."

There were a few hushed whispers. Asha exchanged looks with Phoebe. The redhead appeared a bit worried, but she remained silent. There wasn't really anything to say, was there?

"Another safety precaution—Serelath will remain on the Hatching Ground with the eggs." Y'gan began to pace back and forth as he spoke. "Do not antagonize her or threaten her offspring. That will quickly turn any hatching ugly, and we don't want that. Emotions may get high, but you must try to contain yourselves."

It had been a long time ago, but Asha did recall people being over-emotional at the hatching. It had been a bit strange, but she supposed it had to do with how exuberant the dragons became.

"Also, please keep in mind…"

Y'gan continued, telling them of various things they needed to know about both the hatching and traditions surrounding it. Asha listened carefully, taking note of everything he said. She didn't want to make a mistake that could get herself or someone else killed. Unlike some people, she was actually taking this very seriously. Kirana and Velda? Not so much.

Whatever. It wasn't her problem.

* * *

After dinner, they were all left to rest up for the big day tomorrow. Asha returned to her bed as soon as they got back. She retrieved her pack, sat down on the bed, and began to go through her things to make sure she had everything she wanted. She was content to mind her own business, until she heard someone clear their throat ever so softly. She glanced up to see Phoebe sitting on the bed next to hers. Oh. She hadn't realized their beds were side by side.

"Hello," she said, unsure of what the other girl wanted. "Phoebe, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Sorry if I'm bothering you, but I thought maybe we could chat. I mean, the other two seem to be getting along really well."

They both glanced over at the other side of the room. Kirana and Velda had chosen beds next to each other too. The two girls were talking amongst themselves, laughing every now and then. Asha could only imagine they were gossiping. Kirana probably was saying every bad thing she could about her sister. It was nothing new, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. If becoming a dragonrider didn't lead to Kirana changing, Asha had no idea what would. She was beginning to believe her sister was a lost cause.

Not that she was overly eager to make amends. It was hard to feel forgiving when every time she looked in a mirror, she was reminded of the time her sister basically tried to murder her.

"Sure," she said.

Phoebe hesitated. "So, um… what made you volunteer to be a candidate?"

Asha sat back on the bed, pulling up her knees and wrapping her arms around them. "I just wanted to get away from home. Start my own life, you know?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah… I get you. As for me, my parents… kind of made me come."

She frowned. "Why? You didn't want to volunteer on your own?"

Phoebe grimaced, shaking her head. "No, it's not that… It's just… complicated. They thought it might be good for me, if I Impress the queen."

Asha wasn't quite sure if she understood. There was obviously some part of this that Phoebe didn't want to share. Well, she would respect that. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know, to be perfectly honest. She just met Phoebe. If they were both lucky enough to Impress, they would have time to become friends later. She didn't want to pry information out of a girl she may never see again after tomorrow. Phoebe didn't seem like a bad person. There was a reason they had banded together while Kirana and Velda formed their clique. She hoped that both of them would get to stay. Asha had never had many friends, and they seemed to have  _some_  things in common.

"Huh." She looked at the redhead curiously. "Do you not want to be here, then?"

Phoebe hesitated again, biting her bottom lip. "I… don't know. I've been here for a few days now… and it's so different. A good different. I do like it. I just don't know how to feel about… being forced to come here." She sighed, leaning forward and resting her arms on her thighs. "My folks just can be… demanding."

Asha nodded solemnly. "I know the feeling. Kirana is my sister, after all."

She winced. "I noticed the family resemblance."

Wow, so they did look somewhat alike. It definitely wasn't their hair.

"Kirana thinks I won't even Impress a green," Asha muttered. "Meanwhile, she and Velda argue over which one of them the queen will choose."

Phoebe made a face. "I don't know why  _any_  dragon would choose someone as haughty as them."

"Well, we'll see," Asha sighed, looking down at her hands. "I thought I'd have a few more days, maybe get to visit the eggs like my brother did. But they're hatching tomorrow."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Your brother's a dragonrider?"

She glanced back up. "Yeah. T'kan and Behemeth of Fort Weyr. He's a bronzerider."

"Wow…" She sounded impressed. "No wonder your sister thinks she'll get the queen. High ranks run in your family."

Asha gave a weak shrug. "I don't know. I think she's just conceited."

"Touche." Phoebe gave a little laugh, sitting up straight. "Well, hopefully one of us is chosen by the queen, or Benden may be in trouble. With what Y'gan said about Lorelei… just imagine throwing Velda or Kirana into the mix."

She grimaced. "Shards, I don't want to think about it."

The thought of Kirana in any kind of leadership position honestly made Asha shudder. To think it had come to this… Just hours ago, her worries had been simple. Now she had all of  _this_  to deal with. She supposed she had asked for it, volunteering like that. But now was not the time to be questioning her choices. She was here. The hatching was tomorrow. And most likely, she would be a new dragonrider, whether she Impressed the queen or not.

The two of them talked late into the night, discussing a variety of subjects. Asha learned that Phoebe was from Bitra. Her parents were merchants. They weren't particularly wealthy, but they were well off. She was the youngest too, with two brothers and a sister. Their lives were a bit different, but Asha could understand the struggles of being the baby of the family—especially when your parents were very traditionalist and wanted you to get married and have your own family as soon as possible.

Eventually, it was lights out. Asha say goodnight to Phoebe, and crawled into bed. Unsurprisingly exhausted, she fell asleep rather quickly. So much had happened today, and tomorrow would be just as eventful, if not more. She needed all the rest she could get.

That night, she dreamt of flying on the back of a dragon of an unknown color.


	3. A Hatching To Remember

_Day 19, Month 4, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Y'gan woke them up bright and early the next morning, much to Asha's chagrin. Sure, she was used to waking up before the crack of dawn thanks to growing up on a farm, but that didn't mean she  _liked_  it. Y'gan had told them all the day before that it was tradition for candidates to wear white, so she had to dig through her belongings to find the one white dress she owned. They all were allowed to bathe and clean up, so they could look their best for the hatching.

Asha kept to herself as she prepared, avoiding her sister as much as possible. She decided to keep her hair out of its usual braid, leaving it down. She spent a few minutes brushing out the dark brown locks, letting them fall down to her waist. She didn't want to look unkempt in front of the entire weyr. Once they were done getting ready, they were supposed to go down to the refectory for breakfast and then meet back up in the candidate barracks. No one knew when the hatching would start until Serelath began her maternal croon. All they knew was that it had to be today, with how long the clutch had been incubating.

As they had agreed, Asha met up with Phoebe and they headed to the refectory together. Asha was a bit surprised that the redhead wasn't wearing a dress. Instead, she had on a loose white tunic made of light fabric, with somewhat poofy sleeves, brown trousers secured with a belt, and leather riding boots. Well, the outfit  _did_  have white, so she still followed the tradition.

The refectory was bustling with activity when they arrived. People of all sorts were wandering about, carrying plates and bowls of food to the variety of tables. In fact, Asha was certain she had never seen this many people in one place before. It was a bit overwhelming, and she found herself balking at the entrance. Phoebe paused, glancing back at her.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

Asha hesitated. "...Sorry, I just didn't expect it to be so… crowded."

Which sounded really foolish, now that she had said it.  _Of course_  it would be crowded. A lot of people lived in the weyr. She should have been prepared for this.

"Right, you're from the outskirts," Phoebe muttered. "I've seen more than this in Bitra. You'll get used to it."

She made a face. She wasn't sure if she wanted to, but it didn't seem like she had a choice. Fighting the urge to sigh, she walked over to Phoebe, before looking around. Most of the tables were full. Weyrfolk were chatting cheerfully, passing bowls of bread and tubs of butter down the tables. The cook's assistants were out and about, carrying steaming pots of klah and fresh fruit. Asha's stomach growled as the smoky aroma of freshly cooked bacon reached her. Shards, she hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

"So where should we sit?" Phoebe asked, glancing over at her.

...That was a good question.

Asha looked around some more, trying to spot some familiar faces. That was when she noticed, sitting at the table furthest from the fire, was none other than C'zar and J'lan. They weren't alone, however. Sitting next to J'lan, near the head of the table, was a man who looked like an older, rugged version of him; he had to be, without a doubt, his brother J'lor, the Weyrleader. Across from him was a young woman who shared some sort of resemblance to J'lor and J'lan, but she was too far away to figure out just what it was. There were others sitting on the same side of the table as the unknown woman. Unsurprisingly, there was Velda, and the people who had to be her family. She  _had_  said she was the daughter of a Lord Holder… Asha remembered Y'gan mentioned that that table was reserved for visiting nobility.

She would've ignored that table, and searched for someplace less conspicuous, if not for the fact that C'zar had noticed them. The brownrider's face lit up with a grin and he waved to them, beckoning them over. Ugh, now  _everyone_  at the table was looking over. They didn't really have a choice now. Begrudgingly, she trudged over to them. Phoebe blinked, before following after her.

"Good mornin', Asha!" C'zar greeted cheerfully. "And your friend! You need a place to sit, right? Well, we have open seats!"

"Uh, if it's all right…" She glanced over at the man who had to be the Weyrleader. "We don't want to interfere or anything."

The Weyrleader gave a warm smile. "No worries, you're welcome to pull up a seat." His gaze flickered over to the Lord Holder. "That isn't a problem, is it, Lord Bitra?"

The Lord Holder sat next to Velda. They shared an uncanny resemblance, with the same white-gold hair and cold blue eyes. He bristled at the suggestion, but forced a smile.

"Of course not. They are, after all, fellow candidates with my daughter."

It was so obvious he was lying through his teeth. That itself made Asha not feel bad whatsoever about pulling out the chair next to C'zar and sitting down. Phoebe didn't look so sure, hesitating for a moment before taking the seat next to her. Asha felt a little bad for dragging her into this moment of rebellion, but she really did not like the attitude Velda and her father unfortunately shared.

"I thought so." The smile was still on the Weyrleader's face, but there was a hint of…  _disdain_. He turned towards them, looking around his brother and friend. "So! You're the gold candidate I've heard so much about!"

"Huh?" Asha's eyes widened in surprise. "You've… heard about me?"

J'lan rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "Brother, you're over-exaggerating. All I did was mention I think she has potential  _once_."

"Yes, but that's a lot for you, little brother." He let out a laugh, while his brother continued to look unamused. "But moving on, before you kill me with that look of yours… I'm J'lor, the Weyrleader, rider of brown Rionneleth. It's nice to meet you, Asha, and…" He faltered, realizing he didn't know the other girl's name.

"...Phoebe," she said after a moment. "I'm Phoebe."

"Phoebe! Got it. Well, it's nice to meet you too." J'lor nodded. He had to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had the same jet black hair as his brother, but his was shorter, messily brushed over to the side, and he also had a rich tan. The main difference between the two men was that J'lor was even taller—with broader shoulders and a more robust, muscular build—and he had amber eyes instead. He was quite handsome, in his own rugged way. Much like his brother, he was dressed in dark colors. "This is Kasa." He gestured to the woman sitting across from him. "She's one of our Junior Weyrwomen."

Kasa stiffened, her grip on her fork tightening. "I can introduce myself."

_Ouch._  Asha could feel the tension all the way over where she sat. These two clearly did not get along, for whatever reason. They  _did_  share a family resemblance, now that she had a better view of them. Kasa's hair was that same shade of black, but pinstraight, pulled back into a high ponytail angled slightly to the side, with her bangs parted to the side. Her skin was pale, a stark contrast her hair, but her eyes were that same striking shade of amber. She appeared to be in her early twenties. With such a strong similarity, she  _had_  to share a parent with J'lor and J'lan. She was dressed in a maroon lace-up tunic, black trousers, and boots.

"I'm Kasa, rider of gold Myrlith," she said, turning her attention to the newcomers. "Good luck at the hatching." With that, she set her fork down on her plate, leaving her food mostly untouched as she pushed back her chair and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check up on Octavia."

Asha watched in surprise as the young Weyrwoman left, briskly walking away. That was… odd. Did she really not like J'lor? He seemed friendly enough.

"...And there she goes," J'lor sighed. "Why is it always me? She has no problems with  _you_."

J'lan's gaze flickered over to his brother. "...You remind her the most of Father."

...Ah. They must share the same father, then. Well, whatever issues they had, it was none of her business. She wasn't about to get involved in  _that_. She had more important things to worry about, like whether or not she would be mauled by a dragonet in a few hours.

J'lor muttered something under his breath. "I suppose. Regardless, there still shouldn't be as much of an issue as there is. There's a reason why parents don't raise their children in weyrs."

"Wasn't that whole deal started because we were fighting Thread?" C'zar asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, we don't have to do that anymore…"

The Weyrleader sighed. "I get what you're saying, C'zar, I really do. I of all people understand that we need to change. But… I don't think the children are a good place to start. Mating flights… complicate it. Besides…" His gaze flickered over at the young women. "I don't think we should discuss it in front of the candidates. They have a lot on their mind already."

Well, he wasn't wrong. Asha wasn't sure what she was even supposed to make of this conversation. It certainly didn't apply to her. It was a strange concept to even think about—children not being raised by their parents? It wasn't her place to judge, but it was certainly odd in a holder's perspective.

The Lord Holder opened his mouth, about to speak, but never got the chance. A loud keen sounded from the Hatching Ground, catching everyone's attention.

"Well, it looks like Serelath is starting," J'lor said, returning his attention to them. "You should hurry on back to the candidate barracks. Y'gan will instruct you on what's next."

...So much for having breakfast. But it was now or never. She had to go, or she may never get a chance to impress a queen, with how rare they were becoming.

So Asha nodded, looking over at her companion. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Phoebe muttered. "Let's go."

The two girls excused themselves, and left the table.

* * *

All it took was twenty minutes for everyone to gather at the Hatching Ground. The weyrfolk and visitors took to the stands to watch the hatching, while the candidates were brought out onto the sands. Kirana and Velda had pushed their way to the front of the group, much to the annoyance of the other candidates. Serelath laid curled around her clutch, her wings tucked in against her sides, watching them with whirring blue-green eyes as she sang her song. Indeed, she was small for a queen; she was about the same size as Romanoth, who was large for a bronze.

The dragons of the weyr hummed along with Serelath. They were so loud now, it was almost deafening. Blues and greens danced through the air above the weyr, darting and spinning and somersaulting with excitement. Asha could've sworn there should have been some collisions by now, but the dragons always managed to avoid crashing into each other. The larger bronzes and browns sat perched on the edge of their weyrs, watching eagerly.

Asha stood at the back of the group with Phoebe, which probably wasn't the best choice for someone who needed to get to the queen egg. But Asha was nervous. Suddenly, the reality of her decision had come crashing down on her. That, mixed with the dragon's humming contributing to the chaotic emotions churning inside her, struck her with uncertainty. Kirana was right. There was no way someone like her could Impress a queen. She wasn't leadership material. She was far from it.

Perhaps she was better off Impressing a green. There weren't as many eggs to choose from as she had expected—maybe twenty-five at the most, all nestled around their mother. The clutch mostly consisted of blues and greens, with maybe three browns, two bronzes, and the massive gleaming gold egg. The other candidates were shifting nervously, anticipating the first shell cracking.

Serelath lifted her head, giving off one last, powerful croon, her chest and stomach vibrating. And then, right as she grew silent, the shell of the beautiful gold egg cracked. There were gasps all around as everyone focused in on that egg. No one budged an inch as the crack shot down the golden shell in a viciously jagged line. There was a loud squeak from within, and then a large chunk of shell was busted through, shards falling to the ground. They all watched as the gold dragonet crawled its way out of its egg, before stumbling out onto the sand. And at that same moment, other eggs began to crack, drawing the other candidates' attentions from the hatchling queen.

The queen was shockingly small for a gold. She couldn't have been larger than a runner foal, but nothing about her seemed malnourished or underdeveloped. She had been strong enough to break through the thick eggshell, after all. She was a mess of wings and gangly limbs as she tottered forward, sand sticking to her damp hide. As she tried to stand steadily on her feet, she let out a panicked cry, her eyes darkening to a violent shade of red.

Seeing the little dragonet… All of Asha's uncertainties vanished. She had been so worried about what Y'gan had told them about Benden's queen predicament, she had forgotten the real reason she had wanted to come here and Impress. This was her chance to escape—to get away from the farm life where she was constantly beaten down by her sister. She couldn't just balk and let Kirana or anyone else steal it from her. Even if she wasn't meant to Impress the queen, she had to at least _try_.

Asha took a step forward, now ready to take the chance. But Velda, who had been in the front with her sister, shoved Kirana to the ground, and ran forward as the rest of the candidates scattered, going after other eggs. She went straight for the young queen.

The gold dragonet stumbled back, trying to get away from Velda, but the girl didn't get the message. She reached for the queen. The hatchling let out a frightened squeal. There was a flash of gold and red, and then Velda was on the ground, screaming in agony as she clutched her shoulder, blood oozing through her fingers, her severed arm laying on the sand a few feet away.

Asha froze. More screaming sounded around her. Blood seeped into the sand, forming little rivlets. Serelath let out a low growl, her eyes shifting to yellow, but it stopped a moment later, like someone was forcing her to stay calm. Healers were rushing out onto the Hatching Ground, closely followed by J'lor and Y'gan. Other eggs were hatching now, but the frantic cries of the young queen drew Asha's attention back to her.

_I have to calm her down somehow…_  No one else was making a move towards the queen. Kirana never got up, still sitting on the sands, staring at mauled Velda with wide, horrified eyes, her face as white as snow. Steeling herself, Asha began to cautiously approach the frightened and confused hatchling.

The dragonet turned her head towards her, eyes still whirring red. Asha raised her hands, attempting to show that she meant no harm. The queen watched her carefully, but continued to move after a moment's pause. She ambled forward, tripping over her uncoordinated legs, before Asha finally reached her. Despite this, the dragonet took another step forward, stepping on the girl's foot. Asha bit down on her bottom lip, holding back a curse as the gold's claws sunk right through her boot and pierced her foot. Ignoring the pain and the hot stickiness that could only be blood—after all, she was used to horses stepping on her feet from time to time—Asha reached for the young queen.

She gently took the dragonet's head into her hands, her fingers brushing against her smooth golden hide. The little queen's eyes whirred blue-green as she calmed, the tenseness in her body relaxing. Asha closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the hatchling's. And in that moment, for the first time in her life, Asha knew peace. Tears of both joy and relief pricked in her eyes as her knees gave out and she dropped to the sand.

_Kalianth._  The name resonated through her mind, a smooth, melodic voice that made her think of a great symphony. It was soft and warm, yet there was an edge to it—a hint of power, a hint of danger, that it could sharpen at any moment, whether out of anger or assertion. It caressed her mind, smoothing the broken, battered pieces of her soul.

Kalianth. She had Kalianth now. No matter what happened, they would always be together. She would always have this precious soul to lean upon.

Asha buried her face into Kalianth's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck, and let herself weep. She felt the queen rest her head on her back, already sensing the warm affection emanating through their bond. The dragonet said nothing, but no words were needed.

All that mattered was that they had each other.


	4. The Queens' Curse

_Day 26, Month 4, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

A sevenday passed. In the chaos of the aftermath of what happened to Velda, J'lor had ordered that Asha and Kalianth remain in their weyr until further notice. At first, Asha had been upset. As soon as she had Impressed Kalianth, the duo had been ushered off the Hatching Ground before the Impression even ended. She had no idea what had happened to her sister or her new friend, and no one would tell her when she asked. But then she found herself very busy settling into the weyr and caring for Kalianth, so she didn't have much time to grumble about it.

Asha had met Remma, the Headwoman, as soon as they left the Hatching Ground. She was an older woman, somewhere in her mid-fifties, but had aged well. She was still quite beautiful, with only a few laugh and smile lines creasing her face. She had wavy brown hair with a few wisps of grey that she wore back in an efficient bun, and bright sky blue eyes. She was plump in the motherly sort of way. Indeed, she quickly learned that Remma was the mother of J'lor and J'lan and the weyrmate of the late Weyrleader J'roy, their father.

Remma had welcomed her with open arms. In fact, she seemed very happy that they had another young Weyrwoman. Asha had been relieved by her gentle warmth, but soon discovered that under that motherly exterior, Remma had a will of steel and could give out orders like no tomorrow. Headwoman Remma was not a person you wanted to mess with. Within ten minutes of meeting her, Asha was filled with admiration for the woman.

Remma and Kasa had been the ones who showed her to their new weyr. The queens had their own area, with a weyr specifically for the senior queen. She was told that the Weyrleaders, J'lor and Octavia, lived together with their dragons in the senior queen's weyr, and that the easiest way to contact Octavia would be to go straight to Serelath, who usually would be found there. But there were only three other weyrs for junior queens, which meant with Kalianth, Benden had reached their queen capacity.

Even though it wasn't the senior queen's weyr, their weyr was still incredibly nice. It was more than Asha ever expected. Kalianth's room naturally took up most of the weyr. She had her own couch to sleep on, which was laid with straw and rushes and covered with an elaborate padded quilt. There was a room off to the side, which was furnished with couches, a desk and chair, and a bookshelf. Remma had taken the quilts Asha had brought with her to hang on the walls, adding more warmth and color to the living room. The bedroom was further in the back, and simply furnished. The bed was fit with a legitimate feather mattress and linen sheets, along with the softest furs Asha had ever seen. She also had a bathing room. There wasn't really anything else she could ask for.

Once that was all arranged, Asha was mostly left to herself. Occasionally, Kasa would stop by to see how she was doing, but it was mostly Y'gan making sure she was taking care of Kalianth properly. The first moment she had free time, she snuck down to the lower caverns to visit Remma to see if there was anything she could do to help out, only to be caught by J'lan. She reluctantly returned to her weyr only because he promised not to say a word to J'lor if she went back quietly. Oddly enough, he asked her if she liked to read, and an hour later, a drudge delivered a stack of books to her. She'd been reading in her spare moments ever since.

On the fourth day since the hatching, Remma returned with a welcome package. It consisted of mostly more dragon-rider appropriate clothes, such as tunics, trousers, and an aviator's jacket for flying in the future, but included a couple of new dresses. Remma said the women of the Weyr had a tradition of putting together packages for the weyrlings, and as the new Weyrwoman, hers was done first. All the clothing fit perfectly, and were quite comfortable. The care package also included some scraps for Kalianth and letters of advice and encouragement. Asha couldn't help but give the Headwoman a grateful hug. After that, Remma tried to find free time in her tight schedule to stop by and check up on her as well, to start instructing her about a Weyrwoman's duties, as Kasa and the others were apparently too busy. Regardless, Asha appreciated it.

Today was no exception. Remma had stopped by to give her a brief lecture while she oiled Kalianth. The young queen hadn't really grown at all over the sevenday, but, regardless, her hide persistently itched. Asha found oiling soothing, though. It was the perfect activity to focus on if she needed to get her mind off something, but it also didn't require too much thought so she could care for Kalianth and still learn from Remma. She listened to her instruction as the Headwoman walked back and forth from the living room to Kalianth's chamber.

She was discussing how they organized and managed the larders when she paused in front of the coffee table that sat in front of one of the couches in the living room. She leaned down to pick up something up off the table—the book Asha was currently reading. It was a firsthand account of how Threadfall was permanently stopped.

"Oh?" Remma examined the cover. "This is one of my son's books."

Asha glanced up from rubbing oil onto Kalianth's elbow. "Uh, yeah… J'lan sent a bunch to me the other day. I've been reading them to pass my free time since nobody will let me leave."

"Ah… I see." Remma gave the book one last look before setting it back down. "Well, I hope the books help. You must be bored out of your mind when you have nothing to do."

Asha made a face, returning her attention to Kalianth. "I understand that Bitra isn't happy about what happened to Velda, but… Solitary confinement seems like a harsh punishment when neither of us did anything  _wrong_."

Kalianth turned her head towards her, her eyes blue-green.  _I didn't mean to hurt her. She scared me._

"I know, Kali…" Asha sighed. "Velda didn't listen to Y'gan, and got hurt because of it… yet we're being punished for it, because she's a noble."

Kalianth lowered her head.  _Still, I'm sorry… I don't want you to get in trouble for something I did._

"You don't have to apologize," Asha insisted, reaching up to rub some oil behind her headknobs. "I've told you once and I'll tell you again, it's  _not_  your fault, Kali."

A heavy sigh from Remma drew her attention away from the dragonet once more. The Headwoman still stood in front of the coffee table, though her gaze now focused on the floor.

"It's more than that, dear… It's very true that the Weyrleaders want to keep you two out of sight while they deal with Bitra Hold, but…" Remma shook her head, glancing back up. "There is more to it than that. Have you heard anything about the Weyrwoman before Octavia?"

Asha frowned. "No. Why?"

"Benden has been in a rut when it comes to queens and their riders," Remma said, smiling sadly. "Twenty-six years ago, our Senior Weyrwoman fell ill and passed away while her queen was clutching. Thankfully, there was a queen egg in that last clutch. She was Impressed by a holder girl named Briasa, who then became our new Senior Weyrwoman. She and her queen Keylith were with us for thirteen years. It… was a tumultuous time. Briasa was a good person and a good queenrider, but I don't believe she was suited for being  _Senior_  Weyrwoman. She had no junior queenriders to help her. I think she did the best she could with what she had, but…" Her voice trailed off.

The Headwoman sighed, shaking her head. "Briasa was madly in love with J'roy. She was smitten with him since the day he personally Searched her out. Honestly, I could've handled those early days better, but I was pregnant with J'lan at the time, and… I may have been harder on Briasa than necessary when training her to be Weyrwoman."

Asha's eyes widened in surprise. Well, that was… unexpected. Even Kalianth looked up in curiosity.

She hesitated. "Is… Briasa the mother of Kasa?"

Remma nodded. "Yes. When Keylith rose to mate for the first time, J'roy's Jormelaith, the largest bronze, caught her. Instead of coming to me like he usually did, J'roy… spent his time with Briasa. And they conceived Kasa."

Asha frowned. "Is that… usual for… those situations?"

"Yes," Remma chuckled. "I know it must sound strange to a holder, but it's very much the norm. I can't say I was particularly…  _happy_  about it. But it is a common occurrence in Weyrs. It wasn't the first time, nor was it the last. But J'roy… never loved Briasa. The poor girl could never come to terms with that. If anything, I pitied her. She wasn't made to live in a Weyr. She couldn't adapt. I never disliked, much less hated her. Briasa tried her hardest to do the best for Benden, and she has my respect for that. But her love for J'roy clouded her judgement."

"What happened to her?" Asha asked.

Remma sighed, her gaze once again flickering to the floor. "When J'roy died, she… took it worse than I did. She overdosed on fellis. Keylith, who was clutching at the time, remained with us until the hatching and then went  _between_. Thankfully, Octavia Impressed Serelath so we weren't without leadership for long. But it was a very difficult time, those first three years. And that is why J'lor ordered you to remain in your weyr."

She frowned. "I don't understand…"

"Many of the riders here fear the queens' curse," Remma said with another sigh. "With so many tragedies striking our goldriders, Benden has developed a superstition that our queens are cursed. Especially because of Briasa. A lot of the senior riders expressed concern about a holder girl Impressing the new queen. And with the political issues we're having, J'lor decided it would be best for you to… avoid contact with the bronzeriders. They very much want to avoid another Briasa situation, though J'lor does believe their concern is unwarranted."

Asha looked over at Kalianth. The young queen shared the same confused thoughts as her. Superstitious beliefs were a bizarre concept to the both of them.

_Humans are strange,_  she said.

"You don't have to tell me," Asha muttered. "So basically, I'm under lock and key because of a past Weyrwoman? They weren't like this with Octavia and Kasa, were they?"

Remma winced. "No, but… Octavia was before the superstition really sunk in and Kasa is weyrbred. The supposed curse doesn't really… apply to Lorelei. She's problematic in her own way. I know it's ridiculous, dear. But my son is merely looking out for you."

"It's still a bunch of nonsense…" she grumbled under her breath. Kalianth nodded in agreement.

But before another word could be spoken, a gold firelizard blinked to life right in front of them. In her claws was an envelope. The tiny queen darted up to Asha and handed her the envelope.

"Oh, it's Reine, one of Octavia's firelizards," Remma said. "I wonder what it could be about."

_Open it,_  Kalianth said.

Asha checked to see who it was addressed to, just in case. It was for her, but in familiar messy handwriting. It was a letter from Rylan. She probably shouldn't have been surprised that he had written to her. She carefully ripped open the envelope and took out the folded piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and began to read.

* * *

_Dear Asha,_

_I hope you're doing well. Everything's the same here at the farm. You know, the usual. Nothing exciting ever happens here, but that's okay. Anything is better than all those stories about the Thread._

_Sorry… I'm kind of rambling here. I just wanted to say… We heard about you Impressing that queen egg. We got a letter from your Weyrleader about it. What did he say her name was again? Kalith or something like that. I hope you're happy with your new life. Living in a weyr has gotta be way different from how we live here on the farm._

_I miss you. We all do, but I… miss you. If you can find the time to visit, we'd all love to see you and meet your dragon. I just… wish the best for you, Asha. This is what you wanted, after all. Good luck with everything._

_-Rylan_

* * *

There were many misspellings and mistakes, but she was used to reading his imperfect writing. He often left her notes back on the farm. Still, she was a bit surprised he went out of his way to send her this letter. Surely there had to be other girls he could spend his time with. Girls much better than her.

_Don't think so poorly of yourself._  Kalianth's voice sounded in her head as the dragonet reached over to nudge her shoulder.  _You are perfect just the way you are. Maybe I'm biased, but this Rylan likes you, and so does Phoebe and C'zar and even J'lan. Remma likes you. I think the Weyrleaders do too. See? You are perfect. No one can argue._

A small smile tugged on her lips. Asha nodded. There was no point in arguing. Kalianth would continue to find ways to further prove her point. She looked back over at the Headwoman.

"It's just a letter from a friend back home," she said. "Octavia must have been given it."

Remma opened her mouth to respond, but once again stopped herself. Kasa came striding into the weyr, walking right up to where Asha sat with Kalianth.

"J'lor and Octavia have requested your presence," Kasa said, getting straight to the point. "They're currently in a meeting with the wingleader council and the Lord of Bitra."

...Well, this was new. "All right…" Asha set down her oilcloth and stood up. "Sorry Remma, but it looks like I'm needed."

"It's quite all right, dear," the Headwoman chuckled. "We can continue this later."

_I'll be waiting for you to come back,_  Kalianth said.

Asha nodded, turning towards Kasa. "Well, lead the way."

Not saying another word, Kasa led her out of the weyr. The dark-haired woman walked at a brisk pace, forcing Asha to actually put an effort into keeping up. It really seemed like Kasa was all business and no fun. Did she even know how to relax?

"What is this about?" she couldn't help but ask.

Kasa didn't even glance at her. "The Lord of Bitra is still giving us trouble about what happened to his daughter. The Weyrleaders thought you should have a say in your future."

...Great. So it had finally come down to this.

"So they really want to punish us," Asha muttered.

"Unfortunately."

Asha remained quiet the rest of the way. They walked all the way to the lower caverns, where the meeting room for the council and all other official business was done. Y'gan had showed them it during his tour. There once had been a war table there, used to plan out wing placement to fight Thread a century ago. A map of Pern still rested on the table inside the room, but there was no tactical need for it.

At least, not yet.

Kasa opened the door, and gestured for her to go in. Fighting the urge to sigh, Asha stepped inside, and the other Junior Weyrwoman followed suit. There, all standing around the table, were J'lor, a woman who had to be Octavia, the twelve wingleaders of Benden, and the Lord Holder of Bitra. The only other person she recognized was J'lan; he had to be the youngest bronzerider in the room. Kasa closed the door behind them as Asha hesitantly stepped up to the table.

"Thank you for retrieving her, Kasa," the Senior Weyrwoman said as Kasa joined them, before turning her attention to the younger girl. "Hello, Asha. You have my sincerest apologies that we haven't been able to meet until now. But I'm very glad to have you join us."

After everything she had heard about Octavia… this was not what she had expected. Everyone spoke so highly of the Weyrwoman, out of both respect and fear. But this woman wasn't what Asha had pictured when she imagined an intimidating, authoritative woman.

Octavia was short in stature, perhaps only barely over five foot. Despite her lack in height, she was more plump than lean—a sign of her multiple pregnancies. She had pale blonde hair pulled back into a perfectly done bun, without a hair out of place, and her eyes were light green. Her most prominent feature had to be her aquiline nose, which did not retract from her unworldly beauty whatsoever. She most definitely belonged to a noble bloodline.

What stood out the most about Octavia, however, was her protruding belly. She looked to be about four months pregnant. Well, that explained why the other Weyrwomen were so busy helping her.

"Uh, it's all right," Asha said. "I understand." She glanced around the room, taking note of all the faces. "So, what's this about?"

Lord Bitra scowled. "Do not act so casual. My daughter lost her  _arm_  because of your beast."

Asha bristled. "Kalianth is  _not_  a beast. And she could have lost a lot more."

" _Enough_." J'lor's stern voice cut through before the Lord Holder could retort. "We didn't summon her here so you could argue with her. We're all here to discuss our next course of action— _quietly and peacefully_."

The Lord Holder crossed his arms over his chest. "You know what I want, J'lor. The only thing that will satisfy me is that monster's head on a platter."

" _Excuse_  me?!" Asha demanded. "You can't be serious!"

He ignored her. "You have enough queen dragons, don't you? You don't need another. It only adds more to your pointless political drama, doesn't it?"

Octavia narrowed her eyes. "Putting a dragon to death is not an option, whether Kalianth is a queen or not. It would be  _murder_. You would ask for both Asha and Kalianth to die just because your daughter didn't listen to our warnings and paid the price? That is unacceptable."

"If I may speak…" Everyone looked over towards J'lan, and the Weyrleader nodded in approval. "Weyrlingmaster Y'gan did everything in his power to inform the candidates of what may transpire. Velda was the first to be picked as a candidate for the queen egg. Therefore, he had the most time with her to enforce the dangers. Your daughter still did not listen. And may I add… you did allow her to become a candidate, didn't you, Lord Bitra?  _Despite_  the dangers. She truly is lucky to have just lost her arm, and not her life."

...So maybe J'lan wasn't so bad after all. He had a way with words when he did choose to speak.

Lord Bitra stiffened. "So you will do nothing? My little girl was  _mutilated_  and you're just going to pretend it never happened?"

J'lor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, Lord Bitra… We truly are sorry about what happened to Velda. We wish it never happened. But we cannot and will not do what you ask."

He scowled. "You won't even pay reparations for her medical bills?"

"With your measly tithe?" another bronzerider scoffed. "Absolutely not."

"For once, I agree with O'man," J'lor said dryly.

Asha looked over at the bronzerider who had spoken, this O'man. He appeared to be in his early to mid thirties, standing at about average height. He was muscular and fit, but not enough to really stand out like with some of the other men she had met. His hair was a dark shade of brown, even darker than her hair, and pulled back into a low, curly ponytail. His skin was tanned, and he had a neatly trimmed beard. But he only had one blue eye; the other was hidden behind a leather eyepatch, a ugly, jagged scar running down the side of his face.

Shards… what had happened to him to do that?

"We can all agree on that, yes?" Octavia inquired.

There was an unanimous vote. Of course they all agreed with the Weyrleaders' ruling. No one wanted to sacrifice a rider and dragon just to appease a petty noble. Asha wasn't sure if she was really  _needed_  for them to come to this decision, because she barely said a word the entire time.

"Well, now that we're finished here, J'lan, would you escort Lord Bitra out to his carriage?" J'lor asked his brother.

J'lan nodded. "It would be my pleasure." He stepped over to the Lord Holder. "Come with me, Lord Bitra."

The Lord Holder did not look pleased. He gave them all one last begrudging glare, before letting himself be escorted out by J'lan. As soon as the door opened, a familiar green firelizard darted in, carrying a piece of paper in her claws. It was Y'gan's firelizard, Scout. She accepted the paper from the little green and read the note.

_Come down to the weyrling room for initiation as soon as you're done with the meeting. Bring Kalianth._

_-Y'gan_

Ah… Because of the mauling, weyrling initiation had been postponed as well. Y'gan must have decided to finally hold it today. She looked up at everyone else.

"Um, Y'gan wants me to attend the initiation," Asha said. "May I leave?"

Octavia nodded. "We're just about done here anyways. You're free to go. Thank you for coming, Asha. We'll talk some more later."

Asha managed a small smile. "All right. Goodbye, then."

So, with Scout in tow, she left the council room and went back to her weyr to fetch Kalianth. She would've just called Kalianth to her through their bond, but she wasn't sure how others would react to see the gold dragonet hobbling along all on her own. So together, they headed to the 'weyrling room' as it was called. It was the classroom that the Weyrlingmaster used to teach less hands-on knowledge and skills that didn't require the open air. Thankfully, it was closer to the weyrs than the lower caverns.

They reached their destination fairly quickly, entering the rather large cavern. Asha paused at the entrance as she took in the sight of all her fellow weyrlings from the hatching. Just like the clutch, there were mostly young boys with blues and greens, with the occasional girl with a green. There were the few bronzes and browns with boys that looked a bit older, maybe in their mid teens. They were a motley group, but they were her classmates. There were large tables arranged in the room, each with their own color table cloth marking who should sit there. Asha also noticed a blue dragon lounging to the left of the entrance. She assumed that was Nerenth, Y'gan's dragon.

Much to her relief, she spotted Phoebe. But she was surprised to see the redhead sitting at the bluerider table, a bright blue dragonet sitting beside her. Frowning, she looked around once more, wondering if her sister was in the crowd. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized Kirana was sitting at the brownrider table. And beside her was a dragonet that was very much brown.

_What?_

"Ah, thank you for joining us, Asha!" Y'gan's voice snapped her out of her stupor. "And Kalianth, too! Please, take a seat so we can begin."

"...Right, sorry," she muttered, before hurrying to the very empty goldrider table, Kalianth ambling behind her.

Once she had taken a seat, and Kalianth had plopped down next to her, Scout flitted over to perch on Y'gan's shoulder. The Weyrlingmaster stood up from the chair he had been sitting in, brushing invisible dust off his pants, and strode to the center of the room, where he could stand in the middle of all the tables.

"I know many of you may be confused, perhaps even distraught, over what happened at the hatching," Y'gan began, clasping his hands together behind his back. "A hatching is a momentous moment, where many young people begin the journey to self-discovery. We did have some unusual Impressions this time." He looked around the room, his gaze landing on Kirana and Phoebe in particular. "But I, the Weyrlingmaster, am here to reassure you that your dragons' choices were no flukes."

With that pause, there were some hushed whispers as some of the weyrlings exchanged looks. Asha ignored them, keeping her attention on Y'gan.

"There is a huge misconception about Impression that developed into rules and stereotypes," he continued. "Many believe that sexuality plays a part in Impression. Golds only Impress heterosexual women. Bronzes only Impress heterosexual men. Browns and blues can Impress a man of any sexuality, while greens Impress homosexual men or women of any sexuality. In reality, the sexuality of a dragon's rider has nothing to do with Impression. The only aspects that matter are gender and personality. Sexuality matching stereotypes are simply a trend due to certain colors preferring certain personalities."

The weyrlings hushed. There was no whispering now.

"When it comes down to it, dragons only seek a soul who is compatible to them," Y'gan said. "They don't have a sense of sexuality like we do. Each and every dragon here found a mind who is their perfect match. It's true that gender does play a role, but there are exceptions. Personality overrides gender for every color but gold and bronze. It  _is_  unusual, but it still happens. You're aren't an oddball if it happened to you."

That was most definitely directed at Kirana and Phoebe. No one else here had broken the Impression 'rules' that she had noticed.

"I, as Weyrlingmaster, am here not just to train you into dragonriders, but to help you grow as people." Y'gan paused to look at each table. "I pride myself in my ability to read people. Just from watching you all these past few weeks, I've seen the qualities that your dragons have chosen you for. For example, our new Weyrwoman…" Once again, he paused, turning towards the gold table. "We had quite a few girls who believed they were suited to Impress the queen and no one else was. But pride was not what Kalianth sought, unlike some queens."

Y'gan walked over to the table, stopping so he was standing directly across from her. "Young Asha has the soft kindness a Weyrwoman needs to look after her Weyr, but also the steely will and determination to keep a Weyr under control. Goldriders must be leaders, and Kalianth saw the leadership qualities within you that you cannot see yourself. Despite the hardship you've been forced to endure, you still have a dreamer's heart, a mind willing to consider change—something our society greatly needs."

_Yes._  Kalianth hummed, her eyes whirring more blue than green.  _That's what I've been trying to tell her._

Asha felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Y'gan had struck a bit close to home. She wasn't sure if she could believe she was leadership material, but… there was time to prepare for that. She had three years until Kalianth could even be a candidate for senior queen. But still, it was embarrassing to be put on the spot like that.

Y'gan turned, facing the other weyrlings. He looked at the tables, most likely seeking out his next analysis victim. His gaze locked on none other than Kirana, who was scowling very unhappily at the brownrider table. Clasping his hands behind his back, the Weyrlingmaster casually meandered over to her table. He looked at each of the brown weyrlings, before his gaze once again landed on the only girl there.

"Some of you are unhappy with the color of your dragon," he said. "Much like you are, young Kirana. You were one of the girls who had the audacity to believe you, and only you, could Impress a queen. And yet, Kalianth did not choose you. You are filled with frustration, rage, and confusion. This has to be a mistake. There is no way a  _brown_  would choose a feminine young lady such as yourself. You are so wrapped up in your own turmoil, you haven't noticed how your rejection  _saddens_  your dragon."

There were some gasps. No one had expected Y'gan to be so  _brazen_. Asha couldn't help but take a good look at the brown dragonet by her sister's side. He looked about average size for his color, but his brown hide was dry and cracked. It was painfully obvious Kirana hadn't been oiling him. His eyes whirred a dull grey color. What on  _earth_  had Kirana been doing that she couldn't notice the state of her dragon?

"I haven't seen a case of neglect so bad in all my years as both a rider and as Weyrlingmaster," Y'gan stated flatly. "Don't think I didn't notice your frequent absences. I may have fed Quiyeth for you, but I have no time to oil him as well. He is  _your_ responsibility. You need to get off your pedestal and accept  _this_  is your life now. Quiyeth chose you because he saw your passion and ambition, yet here you are, squandering your potential."

Ouch… While Asha did not like her sister as a person, she still loved Kirana, and watching her be chewed out did not give her the catharsis she thought it would. In fact, she couldn't help but pity Kirana, even if she had only set herself up for this.

"Browns are known for being flexible. They are capable of rising to positions of leadership, but also are capable of following orders. It's true that some brownriders find this an awkward niche, but it simply means that they have a wider range of potential." Y'gan looked at each of the weyrlings at the table before returning his attention to Kirana. "Quiyeth saw that in you. He saw the strength within you that you cannot see, that is masked by jealousy and envy. He saw the drive that has pushed you to pursue your aspirations. You are not weak-minded, and that is what he needed. Young Kirana, Impressing a brown even though you are a woman does not mean you are masculine or are attracted to other women. It only means that you have the flexibility that we need in our brownriders."

Kirana stared at him, eyes wide. Quiyeth raised his head to lay on her lap, green flecking the dark grey of his eyes. She jolted a little in surprise, but awkwardly lowered her hand to rest on top of his head. More green mixed with the grey in his eyes. He wasn't feeling better physically, but his mood was improving.

Y'gan turned away from the browns, hands still clasped behind his back. Now he walked over to the bluerider table. He hesitated for a moment, like he was trying to decide who to target this time. But then his gaze landed on Phoebe. Her eyes widened when he halted in front of her.

"But sometimes, young Phoebe… the stereotypes  _are_  true." Y'gan gave her an understanding smile. "You are not the only one, I assure you. I, myself, fit the stereotype for male blueriders. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just how the cards fall. We are the reason the stereotypes were born, and that is okay."

...Wait. So, Phoebe liked women? That… actually made a lot of sense. Didn't Phoebe say she was forced to be a queen candidate? This would explain it.

_Poor Phoebe… at least she's away from her family now. And she has her dragon._

Kalianth hummed.  _Yes. And she has us, as well._

"Still, you are uncertain, and that is all right," Y'gan continued. "You are young. This is the time for you to find yourself. You are not alone here. It's true, a woman Impressing a blue is rare, but it is not unheard of. You're not the first, nor will you be the last. But no one will judge you here. Take your time to find the answers you seek, with the support of Azurith. And this applies to each and every one of you here."

He paused to look around the room, before returning his attention to Phoebe. "I know this is getting redundant, but Azurith has seen within you what you cannot see. He sees your courageous heart, your desire to protect those that you care for. He sees the tenacity you keep hidden from others. You need to open up to others and be yourself. I hope with Azurith by your side, you will learn how to."

Phoebe's entire face was red—even her ears—but she nodded. She reached down to give Azurith a scratch behind the headknobs. The blue let out a happy hum, his eyes whirring blue-green.

Next was the greenrider table. Y'gan walked over, several pairs of wide, young eyes on him. The green table had the most of the youngest kids—twelve and thirteen year olds that really shouldn't be singled out. But Asha noticed there was one young man who had to be around her age. He was slightly taller than average, but slightly scrawny, with a mop of golden blond curls and green-brown eyes. He was more…  _pretty_  than handsome. He seemed to fit the male greenrider stereotype  _too_  well.

"And sometimes, stereotypes  _aren't_  true," Y'gan said. "You've been worried about that, haven't you, young V'rin? It's understandable, with all the things you've heard holders say about dragonriders… Especially the riders of greens. You've dealt with many whispers and looks over the sevenday, but you haven't let it get you down too much. And that is why Erith chose you. You share her optimistic outlook on life. She loves your enthusiasm and cheerful attitude. True, you may be flamboyant, but all that means is that you're expressive. Don't let anyone beat you down. With Erith by your side, continue to be yourself and don't worry about what others think."

V'rin, huh… Asha took note of his name and face. He didn't seem too bad. And she needed more friends, especially since she was 'forbidden' from interacting with the bronzeriders.

Y'gan continued on, picking out a couple more weyrlings to address. After that, he began to talk about their training. Anyone under sixteen turns would remain a weyrling until they came of age. Otherwise, weyrlings would train for one year, until their dragon reached full maturity. That included goldriders, even though they only reached physical maturity at one year. They would continue to learn how to care for their dragons, how to make flight harnesses, and then how to fly and go  _between_. It seemed like a daunting task, to learn all of that in a year, but Asha trusted Y'gan knew what he was doing.

Finally, Y'gan dismissed them. Asha watched him walk over to where Nerenth lounged. Scout flitted off his shoulder to perch between the blue's headknobs.  _Firelizards are so cute… I wonder if I could get one._

Kalianth nudged her thigh.  _A new friend would be nice._

Asha pushed herself up from her seat. The other weyrlings were getting up, too, talking amongst themselves. She watched as, much to her surprise, Kirana immediately left with Quiyeth. Maybe… Maybe her sister was finally pulling herself together. Asha wasn't sure if she could forgive Kirana for everything she had done over the years, but… she could at least hope she would take better care of her dragon. Quiyeth deserved it.

She turned to leave, only to hesitate and glance back at the bluerider table. Phoebe had gotten up, and was speaking with a couple of the other blue weyrlings.

_You should say hello,_  Kalianth said.  _You were worried about her earlier, weren't you?_

Asha fought the urge to sigh in exasperation.  _Okay, okay, you don't have to rub it in._

With the little gold in tow, Asha crossed the room, walking over to the blue table. The movement caught everyone's attention. All eyes were on her now. She realized she had barely interacted with her fellow weyrlings… at  _all_. That needed to change. She didn't want them to feel like she was above them just because she was a Weyrwoman. She wanted them to know they could  _talk_  to her.

"Hello, Phoebe," she said, trying to give a friendly smile. "Sorry I haven't been around… I've basically been under house arrest."

Phoebe's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, uh… hey, Asha. It's all right. It's not like I've, uh, had much to do myself."

"Well, I…" She almost sighed. "If you ever want to hang out or something, I'm here." She glanced down at the dragonet by her side. "But I need to finish oiling Kalianth, so… I'll see you later."

Something flickered in Phoebe's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. She nodded. "Sure, I'll keep it in mind. See you later."

Asha nodded, and with that, she and Kalianth headed back to their weyr.


	5. Power Struggles

_Day 3, Month 5, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Another sevenday passed. Asha found herself mostly busy with caring for Kalianth and weyrling training. She took the time to try to get to know her fellow weyrlings—including the bronzeriders, much to Y'gan's chagrin. But in the end, she only became close to two other weyrlings. The others just didn't have any shared interests or were just unpleasant company. Regardless, Asha was grateful to find friends in Phoebe and V'rin. Everyone else said she should surround herself with others closer to her rank, but honestly, Asha didn't care about any of that nonsense.

She could get along with most of the weyrlings. Two of the greenriders were twin girls no older than twelve, and it was obvious they already admired Asha, with how they tried to emulate her. It was endearing, it a bit embarrassing. The brown and blue weyrlings tended to come to her for help regarding the lesson that day or for advice about their dragons, as the Weyrlingmaster was usually busy with the bronzeriders. It was no surprise that the bronze weyrlings were the most troublesome. As Y'gan had warned, they all tried their hardest to chummy up to her, which Asha found incredibly annoying.

But none of the bronze weyrlings were as frustrating as M'rek.

M'rek was the oldest out of the new bronzeriders, only a turn older than her, and the youngest son of a Lord Holder. Because of that, he had an… unnecessarily  _high_  opinion of himself. He had quickly become the leader of the bronze weyrlings, and even some of the brownriders had sidled up to him. He had already expressed ambitions that he aspired to be Weyrleader someday. Thus, Asha was very aware of his motives when he began to flirt with her. Unfortunately, to M'rek,  _no_  meant  _try harder_.

This sevenday had been eventful, though. Other than befriending her fellow weyrlings and attending Remma's Weyrwoman lessons, Asha had learned more about life in a Weyr. For one, a green had a mating flight a couple of days ago. It happened during weyrling lessons, and Y'gan had ordered everyone back to their weyrs to wait it out. Asha had never seen the Weyrlingmaster move so fast. He had muttered something like, "Shells, why couldn't this wait until  _after_  the lesson? Hormonal teenagers…" And then promptly kicked everyone out. Asha ended up napping until it was over, only for Reine, Octavia's gold firelizard, to wake her up to pass on a note that the Senior Weyrwoman needed her. She spent the rest of the week helping out Octavia, attending weyrling lessons, and caring for Kalianth.

But today's lesson was about the 9th Pass and Benden's role in permanently ending Thread. Everyone had heard the story more than once, but never to the extent that Y'gan was teaching. Asha listened intently, sitting at a table with Phoebe, V'rin, and the greenrider twins, Anais and Laia. The dragonets were left behind in their weyrs now, with how fast they were already growing.

Well, all the dragonets but Kalianth. The young queen had had maybe grown an  _inch_  over the past two sevendays. The bronzes had already surpassed her.

Y'gan was walking back and forth as he spoke. Nerenth was curled up in the corner just like last time, with Scout dozing, curled up around one of his headknobs. Asha glanced over at the table closest to them, where M'rek and the other bronze weyrlings sat. She could hear whispering coming from that table, which was no surprise.

"Speaking of the Weyrleaders of the Ninth Pass… the other day, I heard that our Weyrleader and his siblings are descended from them. Two of 'em have the amber eyes… That's why so many of the senior riders aren't happy about how the position has basically become hereditary."

M'rek snorted, leaning back in his seat. "Well, that's what we're here for, right? Benden needs new blood, and we're exactly that."

Asha fought the urge to scowl. Shards, could he be any more full of himself?

_He is distasteful._  Kalianth's voice sounded in her head.  _Galarth isn't much better._

A faint smile tugged on her lips as she looked away, returning her attention to Y'gan.  _Glad we are in agreement. I just hope the weyrlings above us are better._

_Rionneleth and Serelath make good leaders,_  Kalianth said.  _I don't want to replace them. Myrlith feels the same way._

Though her eyes were on the Weyrlingmaster, her thoughts were with her dragon.  _You've been speaking with Myrlith again?_

_Yes. She actually has a personality, unlike Vanth._

Asha had to bite her tongue to hold back laughter. That was brutal, but very much true. Even though she had lived in the Weyr for two sevendays now, she had yet to meet Lorelei. But she had heard a lot about the Weyrwoman. Apparently, she spent most of her days helping the male riders…  _destress_. There was nothing inherently wrong with that, of course, but that was  _all_  she did. She rarely ever helped Octavia. According to Remma, Lorelei had never once offered her assistance for managing Weyr resources.

_Well, I'm glad you have a friend,_  she said.

The lesson continued on. Asha found herself nodding off, becoming bored with the tale she had heard so many times. In fact, she would've fallen asleep if not for Y'gan suddenly going, "Oh! We have a guest! Come on in, J'lan."

Asha jolted wide awake, sitting up straight. Indeed, J'lan had walked right into the weyrling chamber. She hadn't seen him since the council meeting with the Lord Holder of Bitra.

"How can we help you, J'lan?" the Weyrlingmaster inquired as the bronzerider joined him.

"J'lor asked me to come down and check on the weyrlings," J'lan answered, getting straight to the point as usual. He paused, looking over at them all. "I hope everyone is adjusting well."

M'rek, still leaning back in his seat, crossed his arms over his chest. "Adjusting? What adjusting? This is the  _life_. We're all doing  _great_."

He glanced over at Asha, giving her a wink. Asha felt her stomach churn in disgust. What on earth was that for? Was it because J'lan was here? Really? That was so mature. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. There was no way she would enable this nonsense. At least both she and Kalianth agreed that they wanted nothing to do with politics.

J'lan completely ignored M'rek, instead turning towards the Weyrlingmaster. "Have all the problems been addressed, Y'gan?"

He nodded. "Yes. I believe we won't be having any more issues."

They were, of course, talking about Kirana. Asha couldn't help but glance over at the table where her sister sat with some of the unproblematic brownriders. Over the past few days, they hadn't interacted that often. Asha had seen Kirana maybe once or twice outside of weyrling training, but neither girl had spoken a word to the other. Asha knew they would never resolve anything at this rate, but she didn't care. Dragonriders now or not, Kirana had made her life living hell.

"Perhaps you could stay for a bit?" Y'gan said before J'lan could get away, as he tended to do. "I'm sure the weyrlings would love the chance to ask a wingleader questions."

The whole chamber went up in a roar. Yes, the weyrlings were thrilled by that prospect. Y'gan had to get everyone to hush and settle down before J'lan could even consider speaking. The bronzerider let off a soft chuckle, the faintest of smiles forming on his lips. Huh… who knew he could actually  _smile?_  She had yet to see him express a positive emotion.

"I can take a few questions before I have to leave," J'lan said dryly, though amusement twinkled in his eyes.

Immediately, hands shot up all around the chamber. Even Anais raised her hand, eagerly sitting up in her seat as she tried to be noticed among everyone else, with their longer arms. It worked though, because when J'lan scanned the room, he spotted her. He gestured to her.

Anais's green eyes lit up as she sat back down. "Is it true that dragons are getting even bigger than they were during the Ninth Pass?"

J'lan nodded. "Yes, they are. But some are also smaller than usual. It's balancing out, one way or another, for the better or worse."

Asha couldn't help but think of how slowly Kalianth was growing. Was she destined to be small, like her mother? She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Myrlith was only average sized for a queen. It would be a stretch for one of Serelath's clutches to produce a gigantic dragon. Maybe this meant that they weren't meant to be the next senior goldrider and queen. That would be a relief.

Hands rose again, and J'lan picked someone else.

"What's flying like?" a younger blue weyrling asked. "Like, actually riding your dragon?"

J'lan hesitated, frowning thoughtfully as he pondered his answer. After a moment, he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No words could give it justice," he replied. "You'll understand what I mean when you get there."

That got some whispering going. Asha glanced over at her friends. Phoebe and V'rin had been oddly quiet this entire time. The blond noticed her gaze and leaned forward.

"Hey, should I ask him a question?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"What do you even want to ask?" Phoebe inquired skeptically.

V'rin shrugged. "I dunno. Who does he think will make a good Weyrleader? Who would he rather become Senior Weyrwoman? Should we just ship M'rek back to his Hold?"

That earned a snort from Asha. "I wish."

"Don't we all," Phoebe muttered.

The questioning continued. J'lan answered a few more inquiries, before Y'gan finally let him go. After that, the lesson continued as per usual. Asha took note of a few of the bronze weyrlings grumbling amongst themselves, most likely offended by the fact that J'lan essentially ignored them. Well, personally, she thought they deserved it, with how self-entitled their lot acted. Asha may not be familiar with many bronzeriders, but she was sure the majority was by far more respectful than the weyrlings.

To think that they were the future of Benden Weyr.

* * *

Eventually, weyrling class ended and they had the rest of the day to themselves. Asha parted ways with her friends to make her way to the lower caverns to check and see if the Headwoman needed any help. Honestly, she was grateful that her duties here in the Weyr weren't much different from her duties on the farm. Mother had been teaching her how to manage the finances and all that, after all, and she already knew enough about larders and organization.

Kirana never would've been able to do this.

_Perhaps. But you shouldn't be so spiteful._  Kalianth's voice sang in her mind.  _I've spoken to Quiyeth. He says Kirana pays_ too _much attention to him now._

_...Hmph._  Asha rounded a corner, passing a couple of weyrfolk.  _I get what you're saying, but I won't believe she's changed unless I see it for myself. You saw Quiyeth's state during the initiation. He could've died from her neglect. I can't forgive that either._

_I did not say I forgave her for her treatment of my brother._  The young queen's voice took a dangerous edge, like the clashing of drums.  _I will not forgive her until you do, Asha, for her treatment of you or her treatment of Quiyeth. But Mother said it is unhealthy to hold grudges._

...This was… odd.  _Brother._   _Mother._  Asha had read that dragons held no sense of familial bonds. They may know who their sire and dam are, and who hatched from their clutch, but that was it. Incest wasn't a concept to them, which was probably the only reason the dragons survived in Benden for all those years during the Eighth Interval and Ninth Pass. And that inbreeding was why the dragons grew so large. Perhaps… they were beginning to develop in other ways.

_Serelath has been speaking with you?_  Asha asked in surprise.

_Yes. Mother worries about me, because I am so small. Do you know why am I not growing, Asha?_

She winced as she entered the main lower cavern.  _No, I don't. I'm sorry, Kali._

_It is not your fault. Father suggested I may just be a late bloomer._

...Shards, she was talking to Rionneleth too.

Asha paused, glancing around the chamber, looking for the Headwoman. Much to her surprise, she spotted Remma standing off to the side, speaking with J'lan. Well, she hadn't expected to see  _him_  again. Twice in one day—a new record. It was strange seeing them side by side, even though she knew they were mother and son. It was obvious J'lan took more after his mother. They shared the same lean, wiry build, and those bright sky blue eyes. It just solidified that J'lan was Remma's son. Now she couldn't help but wonder what it was like to see J'lor with Remma.

But, seeing as she had come here to help the Headwoman, she had no choice but to walk over to them.

"Don't give me that look. You know I'm only looking out for the best for you." Remma glanced over, only for her face to light up with a smile. "Oh! Asha! You've come to help out again, have you? You're such a dear. My son here could take some cues from you."

J'lan let out an exasperated sigh. "Mother, you know how busy J'lor keeps me."

"Yet you find the time to visit your mother," Remma chuckled. "You really need to lighten up. Live a little. By the Egg, I can't believe I'm saying this." She turned towards Asha. "Perhaps you could help my boy. He needs friends."

" _Mother_ …" J'lan pinched the bridge of his nose. "This isn't necessary."

Remma crossed her arms over her chest. "Your only friend is  _C'zar_. Don't get me wrong, I love the boy as my own son, but you need more than one friend. It is  _very_  necessary."

...Well, this was awkward.

"I'm… not allowed to interact with bronzeriders," Asha said after a moment.

Remma rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You really think J'lor will hold you to that? He simply made up the rule to appease the older riders. I highly doubt he's going to punish you for not listening. Regardless, Octavia believes it's ridiculous and no one here will dare go against her."

Under normal circumstances, Asha would have refused. She would've been blunt and told the woman she didn't want to be her son's friend. Honestly, Asha found J'lan distasteful. He was so aloof, it was hard to speak with him. And he never  _wanted_  to talk. She doubted he was a bad person. He seemed like one of the best options for Weyrleader out of the entire Weyr. But Asha did not want to waste her time trying to get him to talk to her. She wanted nothing to do with someone without a personality.

But this was  _Remma_. Remma, who she had so much respect for. Remma, who was like a second mother to her. She couldn't just outright  _refuse_. Besides, this whole prospect seemed to really annoy J'lan. Perhaps it wouldn't be terrible to go along with it for now.

"I guess I could try," she said, before shooting a withering look at the man in question. "He doesn't exactly make it  _easy_."

J'lan continued to appear unamused. "Very funny."

Ugh… She couldn't even  _bait_  him into showing more emotion. Just what was his deal? Was he emotionally stunted? What on earth had happened to make him…  _too_  calm?

However, Remma was pleased by her agreement. "Thank you dear! I imagine you came here for reasons other than listening to me rambling on, yes?" She reached over to put a hand on Asha's shoulder, steering her away. "Come now, we have work to do. You're free to go, J'lan."

Before he could even respond, Remma steered Asha away, giving her son a quick wave goodbye.

* * *

_Day 7, Month 5, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Today was the weyrlings day off.

Asha had decided to enjoy her freedom while she could. After she had fed Kalianth breakfast and oiled her for the day, she took a bath, slipped into one of the new dresses the weyrfolk had given her, and brushed out her hair and left it down for a change. Kalianth wanted to explore the Weyr today, to practice her coordination. The two of them had been about to head out of their weyr when they bumped into two familiar faces.

Asha's eyes widened in surprise, but it faded away quickly as she steeled herself. "Kirana. Quiyeth. What do you want?"

Kirana bristled, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't have to be rude,  _sister_."

But Asha couldn't help but notice… her older sister did seem… different. Kirana still wore her hair down, and her clothes were still immaculate. But instead of wearing the gaudy fashion she tended to favor, she wore a simple linen tunic under a brown leather bustier vest, brown leggings, and leather boots. It was almost like she was taking her new role as a brownrider seriously. Quiyeth was practically glowing at her side, his brown hide gleaming from being freshly oiled. His eyes whirred blue-green, a stark contrast from when they first saw him. Unsurprisingly, he had already surpassed Kalianth in size.

"I'm not in the mood to play your games," Asha said flatly. "Kalianth and are going out for some fresh air, and you're in the way."

Quiyeth looked up at his partner as the two sisters proceeded to have a glowering match. The young brown nudged Kirana on the thigh at the same time as Kalianth spoke to Asha.

_Shouldn't you give her a chance to speak? She came all the way over here for a reason._

Kirana sighed before she could even think of a response to her dragon. She dropped one of her arms to her side, wrapping the other around herself. Asha hesitated, unsure of the sudden shift.

"Look… I wanted to apologize…" Kirana's eyes flickered to the ground. "Over these past three weeks, I've had a lot to think about… about my behavior… about my feelings… about who I am." Her gaze darted over to Quiyeth, who had plopped himself down right next to her. "Everything Y'gan said… was true. I've… I've always been jealous of you."

Jealous… of  _her?_  How preposterous was that? Kirana had everything Asha didn't—beauty, grace, charm, and so on. She took after their mother by far. Asha hadn't been that lucky. No, Impressing Kalianth had been the only time luck sided with her.

"Mother and Father… doted on you so much. It was  _always_  about T'kan and you. They never paid attention to me." Kirana's hands clenched into fists. "They only cared when someone complimented my beauty. I don't know if you remember this, but… when I was thirteen, they tried to betroth me to a man three times my age, to be married as soon as I hit sixteen." Her gaze shot back up, and she looked her sister right in the eyes. "You want to know why I'm such a whore, right? Because the only way that blasted betrothal could be called off was if I lost my virginity. I just went with it after that, because I had nothing else better to do."

Asha remained silent. She wasn't sure what to make of this. Could she even believe everything her sister was telling her?

Kirana looked away, scowling. "Do you remember that man? The man with the eyepatch that kept on visiting the farm? Father's acquaintance?"

A man… with an eyepatch? The only person that fit that description was O'man of bronze Sith, a Wingleader and member of the Council. It had to just be a coincidence.

"...No," Asha said after a moment, frowning.

"Well, he wanted to betroth you to his son or something, but all I could think about was how my betrothed wanted me. It… freaked me out. I wanted to protect you, so… I cut your face." Once again, Kirana looked down at the ground. "I thought if you were were ugly, it would protect you. And it worked. The eyepatched man stopped coming."

It took a moment for her words to sink in.

"... _That's_  why you attacked me?" Anger slowly creeped into her voice. "I thought you were trying to  _kill_  me!"

Kirana sighed, looking back up. "I know it was stupid. I was  _twelve_. I thought I was helping. I thought I could protect you. It's no excuse for what I did to you, but… I thought you should know what really happened. The real reason I did it. You may never forgive me, I know. And I've accepted that. But I've never hated you Asha. I was a child… a jealous, envious child who took her anger out on the person she blamed for everything. I'm so sorry, Asha."

Asha squeezed her eyes shut. This was too much to take. By the shards of her dragon's egg, what was she supposed to believe? What was she even supposed to say? There was no way she could forgive her—not now, if  _ever_. Kirana had destroyed her  _life_.

"Uh… sorry if we're interrupting anything."

Another voice caused both of the young women to jolt to attention. Asha looked behind her sister to see none other than V'rin and young Erith, one of the few dragonets still smaller than Kalianth. He stood there awkwardly, hands clasped behind his back.

"...V'rin?" Asha asked, slightly confused.

"Asha! Hey!" He gave a bright, if not sheepish smile. "Erith and I thought we'd stop by to see if you and Kalianth wanted to hang out or something… I didn't know you were busy."

His gaze flickered over to Kirana, who had turned towards him. His face immediately flushed, turning bright scarlet. "Oh, uh… hi. You're… Kirana, right? The brownrider who got in trouble for breaking weyrling rules."

"...Yes," Kirana said after a moment of scrutinizing him. "And you're V'rin, the greenrider who the blueriders ridicule."

His eyes widened, and he looked away. "Uh, yeah… that's me."

"...Wait, what rule breaking?" Asha asked in surprise.

Kirana sighed. "Do you remember when Y'gan mentioned he noticed my absence? Well, I… was so upset about Quiyeth, I… abandoned him to sleep around. Y'gan gave me proper punishment once we were officially established in our shared weyrs."

What a Kirana thing to do. The weyrlings only had two rules to follow to protect the young, fragile minds of their dragons: one, no sexual activity, and two, no alcoholic beverages. Both could cause emotional stress to their dragonets, which was far from healthy for their growing minds.

"...I'm not surprised," Asha muttered. "Well, if we're done here, we'll be going with V'rin and Erith."

Kirana said nothing. Asha took that as her cue that their very one-sided conversation had ended. Not saying another word, she walked over to V'rin and Erith. Kalianth ambled after her.

"Let's go," she said.

V'rin hesitated for a moment, and then he and his dragon followed after them.

* * *

The two weyrlings and their dragonets ventured down to the Bowl. Kalianth and Erith frolicked ahead, strengthening their legs on the soft sands. Before they reached their destination—the lake—they met up with Phoebe and Azurith, as V'rin had asked if they wanted to come along. Phoebe just had some chores she had to finish up first. Azurith joined the two dragonets in their galavanting.

Eventually, they reached the lake. The three young dragons immediately splashed into the shallow waters. As they began to play, the weyrlings decided to sit a safe distance away from the lake so they wouldn't be accidentally drenched. Phoebe had brought some leftover bread from breakfast for them to snack on while they talked.

"...So I just realized," V'rin began once he had finished chewing. "We really don't know much about each other, do we? I mean, about our lives before the Weyr…"

Phoebe glanced down at the bread in her hands. "I don't really want to talk about it."

V'rin's eyes widened. "Oh, um… I didn't mean to trigger any bad memories." Awkwardly, he turned towards Asha. "What about you?"

"There's not much to talk about," she said. "I live with my parents and sister on a farm. My brother is a bronzerider at Fort Weyr. That's it, really."

"Right, you did mention your brother once," he said. "Well, for me, I'm from Fort Hold. My mother was a drudge… my father is the Lord Holder."

...Well, that wasn't something you heard every day. Asha paused right as she had been about to take a drink from her waterskin. Even Phoebe looked up in surprise. V'rin was a bastard—a  _noble_  bastard, at that. At least no one frowned upon it in the Weyr.

"My mother died a year ago," V'rin continued quietly. "From being overworked. So my father wanted to get rid of me, so I wouldn't challenge his legitimate children, because I'm the oldest. So I was basically handed over to the rider who came to the Hold on a Search. He didn't really want to take me because it wasn't of my free will, but when my father made it clear I was no longer welcome there, he agreed to it. And, uh, that's why I'm here."

For a moment, both young women were silent, processing everything their friend had just revealed to them. V'rin seemed so cheerful and friendly, yet… his life must not have been that pleasant up to this point. He responded to his circumstances much differently than them.

"...I'm sorry, V'rin," Asha said.

He gave a shrug. "My father is not a kind man. I'm glad I'm out of there." He took a bite of his bread, chewed, and swallowed. "Besides, Erith is the best thing that's happened to me. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world."

"We all know the feeling," Phoebe said.

Asha nodded in agreement. "I can't wait until our dragons can fly. There's so much I want to explore. I've always wanted to see the world… especially the Southern Continent."

"Oh, I've heard a lot of rumors about the South," V'rin said. "Apparently, a lot of Lord Holders have forbidden their people from visiting the Southern Continent. And the traditionalist Weyrleaders are no better. If you ask me, they don't want us to see how the South is doing."

Phoebe frowned. "We all know the Honshu Weyrhold failed… and without Thread, there was no real point in keeping Monaco Bay running."

"Are you sure about that?" V'rin asked skeptically. "Maybe once our dragons can go in  _between_ … we should go check it out.  _Our_  Weyrleaders haven't forbidden visiting the Southern Continent."

...Hm. It wasn't a bad idea. With everything she had heard from both J'lor, Octavia, and even Y'gan… Something was going on. Pern was resisting change. AIVAS should've helped them progress more than they had. Maybe the answers they sought were in the South.

"Well, we still have a while before we even learn about going  _between_ ," Asha said. "We have plenty of time to decide and plan."

"That's true," V'rin admitted, leaning back on his hands. "See, this is why you're a goldrider, Asha. You're the sensible one."

She rolled her eyes. "As long as being sensible doesn't make me boring."

"Nah, I think Phoebe is the most boring one here."

Naturally, Phoebe's response was to lean over and smack him on the shoulder. "Oh, shut up. I'm not boring. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" V'rin raised an eyebrow. "We're  _all_  friends here. You  _can_  talk to us, y'know."

"He's right," Asha agreed, ripping off a piece of bread to nibble on.

Phoebe sighed, looking down again. "It's just… complicated."

"Is this about what Y'gan said during the initiation?" V'rin asked.

She winced, but nodded. "Yes."

"We don't care about any of that," Asha said. "You're our friend, and that's all that matters."

"That's… That's  _not_  the problem." Phoebe pulled herself up onto her feet, brushing the sand off her trousers. "I don't want to talk about it." She turned away, towards the lake. "Come on, Azurith, we're going."

The blue came to a screeching halt. Erith slammed into his backside, nearly knocking both ungainly dragons into the water. Albeit reluctantly, Azurith looked at his two companions, and then trudged out of the water. When he emerged, he was dripping wet, sand caking on his feet and the bottom of his tail. With that, Phoebe left, her blue dragon trailing after her disappointedly.

"Ugh…" Asha looked at V'rin. "Was it something I said?"

V'rin made a face. "I don't know. She's just been touchy lately. Every time I try to talk to her about it, she clams up on me."

"I guess she just isn't ready to talk about it, then…" Asha let out a sigh. "Today has been a strange day. First my sister actually apologizes to me, and now this… What's next?"

"Don't push our luck," V'rin said with a laugh.

* * *

Well, their luck had been pushed. When Asha brought Kalianth back to their weyr, none other than M'rek was waiting there.

He stood tall, in his self-important way. Asha would be lying if she said he wasn't handsome, but his personality left much to be desired. He kept his bronze hair on the longer side, tousled messily, his skin was untouched by the sun, and his eyes were brown. His clothes were of fine make, straight from Telgar, the wealthiest Hold in all of Pern. With all his bragging, literally everyone knew he was the youngest son of the Lord Holder of Telgar.

"M'rek, what a pleasant surprise," she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

The young man looked up, his trademark lopsided smile plastered over his face. "Asha! My favorite person. Where were you?"

"We were getting some exercise," she answered brusquely. "Now, what do you  _want?_ "

M'rek let out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you always have to be like this, Asha? We're classmates. I just want to be  _friends_."

"Sure you do," she said dryly. "Look, M'rek—I'm not a deadglow. I  _know_  why you're always sucking up to me. I  _know_  why you challenge the senior bronzeriders at every turn."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then let's make this easier for the both of us. You're destined to be the next Senior Weyrwoman, whether the other two like it or not. And I… I want to be Weyrleader." A smirk tugged on his lips. "If we worked together… we could bring Benden Weyr into an era of prosperity. We could make the holders  _fear_  us."

Asha narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to do that?"

"I spoke to O'man the other day," he said. "He has some radical ideas for an old man, but they're good ideas. He doesn't agree with how J'lor is running this place, how the Weyrleader position has essentially turned into an inherited position since F'lar became Weyrleader back in the day. He doesn't like how we've lost our flexibility—and I have to agree."

She couldn't help but recall the day she attended the Council meeting dealing with the Lord Holder of Bitra, and how J'lor said he agreed with O'man for a change.

"What are O'man's ideas, exactly?" she asked warily.

M'rek grinned. "He believes that the dragonriders, as the heroes who ended Thread, should be ruling Pern. He believes we shouldn't answer to anyone—that we should just take what we need. Let the holders try and stop us."

Asha narrowed her eyes. "That's  _insane_. Just because we have these giant lizards who can breathe fire doesn't mean we should go around terrorizing innocent people."

M'rek let out an exasperated sigh. "It's what we deserve, Asha. They've forgotten how we've saved them. How many of our lives have been lost defending the planet from Thread. How we nearly  _starved_  to death because no one believed Thread existed anymore."

"The holders have lost people too," Asha said darkly. " _All_  of Pern has suffered from Thread. We're not special cases, M'rek. And I do believe we need to find a new purpose. I just don't know what yet."  _And the Southern Continent may hide the answer to our question._

_I agree,_  Kalianth said.  _His ideas are a bit much. I don't want to fight the holders._

_I knew you would._

M'rek shook his head. "I should have known. The Weyrleaders have brainwashed you already. You  _do_  know they're setting you up for Romanoth to win Kalianth's maiden flight, don't you?"

Asha bristled, scowling. "Yes, I am  _well_  aware. And it's  _none_  of your business."

"Someone's defensive." He smirked, leaning down towards her, getting too close. "You like him, don't you? J'lan. He  _did_  Search you, didn't he? Have you been breaking the weyrling rules? Don't worry, your little secret's safe with me."

Anger flaring, Asha shoved him back. "Stay  _away_  from Kalianth and me."

As if to emphasize it, Kalianth let out a low growl, stepping up to stand beside her rider.  _Leave our weyr at once, M'rek of Galarth._

M'rek scowled. "You  _will_  regret this, Asha. You may be a queenrider, but you won't win."

With that, he brushed by them, walking away, heading back into the Bowl. Asha stood there a moment, still processing what had just happened. She reached up to run a hand through her hair.

"Scorch it," she muttered under her breath. "This calls for a nap. I can't take anymore drama today."

Kalianth did not complain when Asha joined her on her couch for the nap.


	6. Sudden Change

_Day 11, Month 6, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

_There's more, right?_

Kalianth looked up at her hopefully, her eyes whirling blue. While yes, the young queen was still growing—she was only the size of maybe the smallest brown weyrlings—her appetite had increased exponentially over the past week. Asha had even brought her down to the pens to pick out her breakfast. Her fangs were just starting to grow in, which made it easier for her to eat, and she had gobble down all of the cutlets so fast she might as well have been breathing it in.

"No… that's it, Kali." Asha winced. They were running low on livestock. The dragonets were eating a lot more now, and couldn't exactly go hunting like the adult dragons.

Orange flecks whirred through her eyes.  _But I am still hungry._

Even compared to her clutchmates, Kalianth was eating more than usual for a dragonet her size. Asha had no idea where all that meat was going to. It was true Kali was slowly catching up in size, though she was still smaller than average for a gold. No one had any real answers for her lack of proportions. Even Serelath hadn't been as small as her.

"I'll see what I can do," Asha sighed. But she doubted they would be allowed another  _whole_  herdbeast.

_When you come back, I think my hide needs more oiling,_  she added.  _I'm all itchy._

Maybe she was finally reaching that much needed growth spurt. Asha was going to stay positive here.

"Of course," she said. "I'll be back soon."

Truly, Asha wasn't sure what she'd even be able  _do_  in this situation. The most she could do was speak to the Weyrwoman. Octavia was usually in the councilroom, working, at this time of day. So, Asha headed out of her weyr to see if she could find the woman. She passed a few familiar faces along the way, giving them all friendly greetings. However, she didn't expect to hear  _yelling_  when she came down the administration tunnel.

The voice was muffled, but it definitely sounded like Octavia. Fardles, who was foolish enough to make her angry? Asha wasn't sure she wanted to intrude upon this, but she had promised Kalianth she'd look into it. She reached the entrance. Surprisingly, the door was open. Hesitantly, she peered inside to see what was going on.

"You have done absolutely nothing to help this Weyr," Octavia was saying, her voice loud but not quite yelling, and as hard as steel. "You leave Kasa and me to manage everything on our own. I cannot burden Asha with too much yet, as she is still a weyrling and needs to focus on her training, and she  _still_  volunteers to help. Meanwhile, you laze around. Vanth is no better."

Kasa was also there, standing off to the side of the war table, which Octavia stood behind, an array of papers spread out before her. But the woman she was facing off with stood across from her, a few feet away from the table. Asha realized this was the first time she had ever seen Lorelei, despite having been in Benden for two months now.

Lorelei was tall, even in the casual slouch she stood at, with her arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't built like any of the other goldriders, being quite curvaceous, with a figure some women would die for. Her hair was a deep shade of red, cascading down to her waist in elegant waves. Her skin was so fair, it made Asha wonder if the woman ever stepped outside a day in her life, and her eyes were a vibrant shade of green. She wore an elaborate violet gown that looked like it belonged to a noblewoman, adorned with gold tinsel and glittering gemstones. Various jewelry hung from her neck and dangled from her wrists. Even her ears were pierced. She looked like she belonged among a Lord Holder's ladies, not as a weyrwoman in a Weyr.

"Your definition of 'help' is bland and out of date," Lorelei replied, unfazed, as she examined her finger nails. "I provide the Weyr with much assistance, dear. Haven't you noticed that the number of assaults connected to mating flights have gone down? I am a Weyrwoman of the people. I am what they need. I see to their concerns, and help them through them."

Octavia's hands clenched around the edge of the table. "A Weyrwoman's duty is to  _all_  the Weyr, not just the dragonriders and their physical needs."

"Are you sure about that?" Lorelei inquired, looking up from her nails and raising an eyebrow. "Your current state seems to state the contrary. You do prefer to give the Weyrleader preferential treatment, do you not?"

Octavia scowled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Do not bring J'lor and my  _personal_  relationship into this."

Asha cleared her throat. Loudly.

Three sets of eyes flickered over to the doorway. Asha felt very awkward as she stepped forward into view. Octavia sighed, pushing herself away from the table. Now six months pregnant, she looked slightly more tired than when they first met. There were faint rings under her eyes, but her bun was as perfect as always. She seemed more stressed than anything else.

"Come in, Asha," Octavia said.

She stepped inside, suddenly unsure if this was a good idea or not. "I apologize if I'm interrupting anything…"

Octavia waved her off. "No, no, it's fine. What do you need?"

"It's about the food supply," Asha said hesitantly. "Kalianth is still hungry, and I imagine she's not the only one. We need to do something about this lack of food."

The blonde woman sighed. "I was afraid this would become a problem. We weren't prepared for this clutch, unfortunately."

Lorelei sneered. "Are we ever?"

Octavia stiffened, narrowing her eyes at the younger weyrwoman. "You are excused, Lorelei."

Lorelei did not complain. She simply brushed her hair behind her back, turned, and walked out of the room. Asha had to quickly step out of the way to avoid colliding with the woman. Lorelei closed the door behind her, with an audible slam. Octavia let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping as she finally let her body relax. Kasa stepped up to the table, so Asha decided to join them.

"We have to resolve this, somehow," Octavia muttered, eying the map. "Perhaps we can reach out to one of the Holds for more livestock. I would rather not go to my family for aid, but… Lemos may be our only choice."

"What about Bitra?" Kasa asked, drawing all attention to her. "It is closer, and we could use this as an opportunity to assert our authority. Bitra would hurt more by turning us away than we would, because we can go to Lemos for assured aid."

"...Hm." Octavia looked up from the map. "You have a good point. There is no way they can politely refuse us aid." Reine, her gold firelizard, flitted over to land on the war table. She quickly wrote a note, rolled the paper up, and gave it to the little queen. "Deliver this to J'lan."

Well, that wasn't a surprise. The Weyrleaders truly did turn to J'lan for almost every single errand they needed. She supposed that only made sense, but that would also explain why everyone believed J'lan would be the next Weyrleader. He was essentially being groomed for the role, and Romanoth was by far the largest bronze of the Weyr. Asha still wasn't sure how to feel about all of this.

"I would send you, Kasa, but we can't afford to spare a weyrwoman," Octavia sighed, shaking her head. "And Kalianth is still far too young to be separated from Asha yet."

Asha winced. "I wish we could be of more help."

"All you need to worry about right now is your weyrling training," Octavia told her firmly. "Help when you can, but Kasa and I will worry about the major tasks. Your time will come, Asha."

Kasa nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "Octavia is right. I'd enjoy your freedom while it lasts."

...That was an ominous warning.

A few minutes later, the door opened back up, and in stepped J'lan, followed closely by Reine. He shut the door behind him once the firelizard was inside, and strode up to the table. Asha tried not to stiffen when he stood beside her.

"What do you need?" J'lan, getting straight to the point as usual.

Shards… would he  _ever_  loosen up?

"I need you and your wing to visit Bitra Hold," Octavia answered, looking up at him. "We need more food for the dragons. I'm sure you are very much aware of our shortage."

The bronzerider nodded. "Yes, I've noticed. We all have. How long are we to stay?"

"However long it takes," the Weyrwoman stated grimly. "We'll see how much resistance Bitra actually has in her. Just try not to get into any duels. We don't need that added political drama, no matter what J'lor says."

"What does J'lor say?" Asha couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Octavia sighed, resting a hand on her hip. "He thinks we need to fight all the Holds who disrespect us. Assert our dominance. I understand why he feels this way, but… violence is not the answer. You do agree with me, don't you, J'lan?"

"I agree to a certain extent, yes," he answered evenly. "I'm afraid we won't be able to remain peaceful if the Holds ever strike against us. It would not be the first time in history, and I doubt it will be the last. We don't… need a repeat of what happened to J'roy."

"...What happened?" Asha asked slowly, realizing she still hadn't heard the full story.

The room grew still. Octavia grimaced, her gaze flickering down to the table. Kasa didn't move, but J'lan seemed to stiffen. Asha wondered if she even should have asked. It was obviously still a delicate subject, even after thirteen years. But finally, after a moment of awkward silence, J'lan sighed.

"My father was murdered at Lemos Hold," he answered, keeping his eyes on the map on the table. "It was an amicable visit turned violent. I wasn't there, but J'lor was."

Octavia sighed softly. "Yes… It was an accident. An horribly ugly accident, but an accident nonetheless. My father did not mean for it to happen…"

Asha's eyes widened. "Wait… your father is the Lord Holder of Lemos? And he killed the previous Weyrleader?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yes. That is why I am here, as Weyrwoman, and not at Lemos."

That… explained a lot. Octavia did carry herself like a noble. She came to Benden with the right set of skills and everything… No wonder nobody liked questioning her authority. She knew what she was doing. She was the perfect person for the job, yet they wanted to replace her simply because her dragon wasn't producing enough clutches. It just sounded so  _bizarre_  to her. Yes, it was important to keep the dragon population growing, but they now had  _four_  queens at their disposal, along with the queens of other Weyrs. It shouldn't be a problem.

"Whether or not Lord Fiojar intended to harm J'roy is debatable, but that's not why we're here." J'lan turned away from the table. "I will gather my wing and we'll head to Bitra, as you request. Hopefully we'll return soon with more provisions."

With that, J'lan left the council room, without so much of a goodbye. Jays, his attitude could be so disconcerting sometimes. Though, it was obvious that she must have touched a nerve, asking about the previous Weyrleader's death. Benden's past was truly a mess, wasn't it? They really needed some positive things to happen. Hopefully their luck would change over these next three years.

"You'll have to forgive J'lan," Octavia sighed. "He gets… touchy about what happened. Not that I can blame him… If you want to know more, J'lor would be the best to ask. I was inside when it happened, so I did not see."

Asha nodded. Honestly, with the reaction she had just received, she would rather  _not_  go around asking how the previous Weyrleader died. It wasn't like it really mattered at this point in time, nor was it any of her business. It was similar to how she clammed up whenever someone asked about the scar on her face. It was best left alone.

"Is there anything else you need done?" Asha inquired.

Octavia shook her head. "No, but thank you. Focus on your weyrling training, Asha. That's all we need right now. If anything comes up, I'll send one of my firelizards to fetch you."

"I'll do that," she said, before excusing herself from the room.

* * *

_You are upset._

Romanoth's smooth, deep voice entered J'lan's mind like a purr, quiet yet powerful. The bronze's mindvoice always reminded him of how his dragon was quite unruffled for his color, but still displayed his strength to those around him. A single faceted eye followed him as J'lan packed his gear. The dragon had stated a fact, not asked a question, as he often did.

"No. I'm annoyed."

Amusement flickered through their bond.  _You lie. The girl brought up bad memories. You are upset that you were forced to think of it._

J'lan sighed, looking up at the large beast as he lounged on his couch. "I don't know why I bother trying to hide anything from you."

Romanoth was pleased with himself.  _It is a habit of yours. A foolish habit._

"I am well aware." J'lan checked his pack, making sure he had everything he needed, and fastened it shut. Then, he retrieved his sword, tying the scabbard to his belt. He would always bring a weapon when visiting a Hold… just to be safe. "I'm not looking forward to this visit to Bitra. Dealing with them is such a pain."

_Agreed,_  Romanoth rumbled.  _But we much help the dragonets. They are the future of the Weyr._

"You don't have to remind me," J'lan said dryly, shifting to retrieve his aviator jacket. "Are the others ready?"

The bronze paused, taking a moment to reach out to the dragons of their wing. After a moment, he nodded, rising up from the couch.  _Yes. They are prepared to proceed._

"Excellent." J'lan slung his pack over his shoulder and began to walk towards the exit of their weyr. "Tell them we're moving out."

* * *

Going  _between_  went quickly, and they appeared right above the castle.

Holds had changed a lot since the end of Thread, expanding away from the mountains and caves that had once given them shelter. Bitra was a prime example. It was nestled in a mountain valley, the castle carved right out of the mountains that surrounded arable land. A castle town encompassed the fortress, the buildings all carved out of the rock, encased in defensive stone walls with watchtowers and newly added parapets. It was unsettling that over the past century, the Holds had been bracing themselves for war against each other, as opposed to Thread.

The rest of the wing blinked in appearance behind them, in sync as they had trained. Romanoth carefully dropped down onto the wall, perching delicately, a feat one would not expect from a creature his size. Shouts came from below, as the watchtower guards scattered, getting as far away from the dragons as possible as they took their own posts on the wall.

J'lan had always found it amusing how fearful the holders were of dragons. It was true the beasts were of monstrous size, but they rarely ever showed any signs of aggression. No one had any reason to fear a dragon, unless they threatened a dragonrider. Dragons were peaceful creatures. They never wished harm on others without a good reason.

_They send for the Lord Holder,_  Romanoth said.  _Without us even having to ask._

_Bitra is on alert. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious._

_Of course._

J'lan gave the mighty bronze a pat on the shoulder, before undoing his straps and sliding down to the wall. Resting a hand on the hilt of his blade, he walked over to the watchtower that Romanoth had landed next to, and then descended the steps that led down to the ground. The rest of his wing made their way over to him, their dragons remaining perched on the wall.

"Well, what's the verdict?" C'zar asked, stopping beside his friend. "Are we going to wait for them to come to us, or…?"

"We'll wait," J'lan answered, turning his eyes to the gate. "They seem to be eager to greet us."

C'zar snorted, a smirk tugging on his lips. "Yeah, I don't blame them. We're pretty awesome."

J'lan rolled his eyes. "Right."

A few moments later, the gates opened, the drawbridge dropping down to the ground. A retinue of soldiers came marching out, standing in perfect formation, armed with basket-hilted swords, among a variety of other weapons. Hm. Were they trying to show off their might? How curious. Just what game was Bitra playing at? Was he truly frightened of their dragons?

"Welcome to Bitra Hold, my lord," the guard at the front of the procession said, giving a polite bow. "Lord Sugol is waiting for you inside the castle." His gaze flickered over to where the dragons were perched. "The dragons…"

"Shall remain where they are," J'lan said. "Please, lead the way. We are eager to meet with Lord Sugol."

"Of course, my lord," the guard said. "We will escort you to Lord Sugol."

_Something is suspicious,_  Romanoth warned, as J'lan gestured for C'zar and the rest of the wing to follow.  _More guards are gathering outside of the barracks. I do not like this._

But there was nothing they could do, as they entered the castle, now cut off from their dragons. J'lan did not show any change, simply looking around as they walked through the fortress. Tapestries hung on the walls, depicting the history of Pern. They weren't nearly as nice as the ones from Benden. It was an understatement to say that Benden Hold was by far more pleasant to visit. He had no idea just what exactly Sugol was planning. Was he truly foolish enough to attack dragonriders? What happened to his daughter was tragic, but that would be going too far.

_Remain on alert,_  he said.  _I'm not sure what's going on, but be ready for anything._

_Of course,_  Romanoth rumbled.  _We will be on standby._

Moments later, they reached the main hall—the throne room. It was a fairly large chamber. A single dusty red rug lay on the floor, accented with silver tassels, leading up to the throne. Banners hung on the stone walls, depicting Bitra's coat of arms—a dusty red field, with four white eight-pointed stars. More guards were stationed at the doorways, standing at attention, weapons in hand.

J'lan forced himself to remain relaxed, to not show an inkling of wariness, keeping his hand lightly resting on the hilt of his sword. If he was tense, Sugol would pick up on it, and that could make the situation worse. He also didn't want to put his men on edge. He would keep his suspicions between him and Romanoth. With how hot headed C'zar could be, it would be best to not share the information with him, as much as he trusted his closest friend.

Their escort stopped halfway down the carpet, moving to stand to the side, but still at attention. The captain nodded to him, which J'lan took as permission to proceed. He gestured for the wingriders to remain where they were, and stepped forward. C'zar remained with him, as wingsecond, and the two strode up to where Sugol sat on the throne.

The Lord Holder of Bitra was by far the least popular Lord Holder. He was a grizzled old man, already in his sixties, with enough women to keep bearing him children despite his wife being past that age. He wasn't particularly tall, and physically was no threat, having more fat than muscle. His hair was already pure white, long enough to be pulled back into a short ponytail, his tanned skin weathered with age, and his eyes that same shade of icy blue.

Rumors said he treated his wife and concubines very well, and that he was very family oriented. Which only solidified that he was  _furious_  about what happened to his daughter. And that just made J'lan even more wary of this whole situation.

"Welcome to Bitra, my lords," Sugol greeted them, but his tone was far from amicable. The smile on his face told them everything they needed to know. "How may I help dragonriders on this fine day?"

"We require aid, my lord," J'lan answered, keeping his hand casually resting on the hilt of his blade. "Our livestock numbers have been depleted very quickly by the weyrlings, and the dragonets are going hungry. We were wondering if you would be so kind to donate more deer and livestock to our resources… considering your tithe was particularly lackluster this month… along with all the previous months."

"We would greatly appreciate it," C'zar added. "We can't have the weyrlings starving, you know."

Sugol bristled, his hands turning white as he gripped the arms of the throne. "And why should we continue to give tithe? You do not fight Thread. The Red Star is no longer in the sky. I have more pressing issues to deal with than a Weyr's lack of resources."

"Is there trouble in Bitra?" J'lan inquired, narrowing his eyes.

The Lord Holder sighed, leaning back on the throne. "You could say that, yes. There are whispers of a black market. And not just any black market—a black market that sells slaves. Many young girls and boys have gone missing over the past few years, nearly depleting the future generation. We have tried to keep this secret, to avoid causing mass panic all over Pern. I have been in contact with Lord Elam of Benden, and they have been experiencing the same disappearances."

"A slavery ring?" C'zar demanded. "And you didn't care to share that information with us? We could help with the investigations."

J'lan opened his mouth to respond, to tell his friend to stand down, because he could see the brownrider's temper about to explode. He needed to calm the situation before it turned too heated. Octavia had ordered them not to cause any fights. But he never got the chance to speak, because Sugol scowled, leaning forward.

"We don't need your help," the Lord Holder stated darkly. "You dragonriders have run of out usefulness and have overstayed your welcome." He leaned back against the throne, relaxing once again. "Guards. Kill them all."


	7. The Rise and the Fall

_Day 11, Month 6, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

The watchdragon roared—a clear, mournful roar that caught every dragon's attention.

The weyrlings, who had all been about to begin today's swim training, paused to look towards the watchtower. A familiar massive bronze had materialized in the air above the Bowl, closely followed by some browns and blues and a lone green. Asha immediately recognized Romanoth and Yezmuth, but as the dragons began to carefully lower themselves down onto the Bowl, she noticed their numbers seemed awfully small. She thought wings were bigger than this.

_Something is wrong,_  Kalianth said.

"Shells," Y'gan cursed, as everyone turned towards him. "Half the wing is gone. Everyone stay here."

Asha's eyes widened. "Wait, what? What do you mean,  _half the wing is gone_?"

Y'gan winced, as Scout perched on his shoulder. "Asha, you can come with me. Everyone else, stay here. I don't know how long this will take, so I'm leaving M'rek in charge. Please continue with your training while we're gone."

Before any other questions could be asked, Y'gan was on the move, Nerenth trailed after him. Asha looked down at Kalianth, who nodded, and they quickly followed after the Weyrlingmaster and his blue. By the time they reached the wing, the dragons had all landed and their riders were dismounting. Asha spotted both J'lan and C'zar standing together, beside Romanoth, speaking to each other, as the other wingriders assessed themselves and their dragons.

"J'lan! C'zar!" Y'gan called to them. "By Faranth's Egg, what happened?"

The two dragonriders immediately looked towards them as they approached. Asha noticed that J'lan's left arm hung limply at his side. Both men were covered in nicks. There was even a bloody tear in C'zar's tunic. Looking over at the other riders, they seemed to be in worse states, with actual visual injuries and bloodstains on their clothing.

"We were attacked," J'lan answered bluntly. "The Lord Holder of Bitra refused to give us any aid and ambushed us."

"What?" Asha gasped, eyes widening.

"We barely got out," C'zar said, squeezing his eyes shut. "A lot of us… didn't make it. They sprung on us while our dragons were outside. The younger blue and greenriders didn't stand a chance. And their dragons immediately went  _between_. I don't think we'd be here if it wasn't for Romanoth literally plowing his way through the castle."

"Yes," J'lan sighed wearily, before reaching over to gently touch his limp limb. "My arm is broken, but that is the most severe injury out of what remains of the wing. I need to see J'lor immediately."

"But you're hurt," Asha said, taking a step forward. "We should take care of your injuries first-"

"No." He cut her off brusquely, shaking his head. "There is no time. Lord Sugol could be preparing for another attack as we speak. He must know there is no going back now. We must… ready ourselves for battle."

All color drained from her face. "But-" Asha began to protest, a knot tightening in her stomach.

"J'lan is right, Asha," Y'gan said with a heavy sigh. "Scout will deliver the message to the Weyrleaders. I need you to go back to the lake and get the weyrlings into the classroom. If we're going to war with these deadglows, we must keep the future generation safe."

She knew the Weyrlingmaster was right. She would only get in the way. And if anything happened to Kalianth, the future of the dragons could be destroyed. She glanced down at the young queen by her side, whose eyes whirred blue-green. She couldn't let anything happen to Kali, even if she wanted to help protect their Weyr. Besides… she didn't even know how to fight. The best she could do was care for the wounded. The thought infuriated her. Oh, she  _hated_  sitting on the sidelines.

But she nodded, admitting defeat, before turning her gaze onto J'lan once more, scowling. "Just don't get yourself killed, got it?" She looked over at C'zar. "The same goes for you."

C'zar flashed a cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Asha, I won't let your pool of options for Kalianth thin out  _too_  much."

J'lan let out an exasperated sigh. "Will you  _shut up_  about that?"

She knew the brownrider was only joking, but regardless, it made her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "I'll see you later," she said quickly, before turning away. "Let's go, Kalianth."

The little gold didn't protest and followed after her rider, and they headed off together.

* * *

It had taken a bit of effort to get all of the weyrlings and dragonets out of the lake and cleaned up, before returning to the weyrling classroom cavern. But everyone was talking at once, wondering where Y'gan was, asking what was going on, and so on. Asha struggled to keep everything in order, and even with her friends backing her up, it took twenty minutes to get everyone to sit down. And that was enough time for Y'gan to return, J'lan and C'zar with him. As soon as the three men entered the cavern, everyone erupted into noise, talking all at once again.

"Everyone, please calm down." Y'gan spoke, loud and clear, and it was enough for the banter to die down again. "We do not know for certain if we will be attacked. And even if we are attacked, there is still time before the holders arrive. They have to march all the way here, after all."

Asha glanced over at her friends briefly, before turning her attention to the dragonriders. It appeared that J'lan and C'zar had both been tended to. J'lan's broken arm was now in a sling. Their worst cuts were bandaged up. Octavia had probably knocked some sense into them.

M'rek stood up. "Is it true? Did the holders really attack us?"

Of course he was the first to ask. If the situation wasn't so serious, she would've rolled her eyes.

"Not the  _holders_ ," J'lan answered, turning his gaze onto the younger man. "Lord Sugol's guards. I don't think the regular citizens of Bitra are involved with this."

"Yeah, I really doubt the holders would want to turn against us," C'zar said, frowning. "Sugol is just bitter about what happened to his daughter."

"Bitter enough to kill innocent riders and their dragons," Y'gan stated grimly. "We will have time to grieve for our lost brothers and sisters, but for now, we must protect what we cannot lose." He turned his attention to the weyrlings. "J'lan and C'zar will be staying here with you, in case we are attacked and are unable to keep enemy forces from going underground."

That wasn't reassuring… at  _all_.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Asha asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Remain here," Y'gan said, meeting her gaze. "Don't let anyone leave. Until we can be certain that Bitra is not marching on us, we can't risk anyone above ground. I'm putting you, Asha, and M'rek in charge."

M'rek, who had come to stand next to her, nodded. "As you wish, Weyrlingmaster. We'll look out for everyone."

Y'gan managed a smile, like he was proud of them agreeing to work together. "Good. I'm counting on both of you."

With that, the bluerider turned around, nodded to J'lan and C'zar, and strode out of the cavern. J'lan said nothing else, walking over to the one empty table. He sat down, turning his back to everyone, running a hand through his hair. C'zar hesitated, before sighing and turning back towards the cavern entrance. Yezmuth ambled in, taking a seat in the corner that Nerenth usually curled up in during lessons. Then C'zar walked over to stand by the entrance, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

Asha glanced over at M'rek. Their eyes met for a moment, in which M'rek flashed his trademark smirk, shoved his hands into his pockets, and sauntered over to sit back down with his fellow bronze weyrlings. Fighting the urge to sigh, Asha once again did a headcount to make sure everyone was present. Once she was positive everyone was safe and sound, she looked around the cavern one more time.

Her gaze fell on J'lan, where he sat alone. Romanoth must be standing guard at the entrance to the lower caverns, as he was too large to fit inside the underground caverns. Normally, she would most definitely not choose to speak with him, but she needed to know… just  _what_  had happened in Bitra that led to  _this_?

So she walked over, and took the seat next to him. He didn't acknowledge her presence, but that was nothing new. For a moment, she sat there, trying to assess his mood. He sat rigidly, stiff as a board, his expression mostly unreadable. But Asha was no stranger to the emotions smoldering in his eyes—a dangerous mix of anger and grief.

"J'lan," Asha said. "What happened?"

For a moment, he said nothing. "...I followed Octavia's orders. We went to Bitra. We asked for aid. Sugol outright refused, and ordered his men to slaughter us."

Her eyes widened. "Completely… outright?"

J'lan nodded, turning his head to face her. "Yes. Completely outright."

Her gaze flickered down to his broken arm, bandaged up and draped in the sling. "Are you all right?"

He snorted, turning his gaze away from her. "I'm alive. I would be dead if not for C'zar's quick thinking. The others were not so fortunate. Most of my blue and greenriders… were slaughtered like beasts."

"J'lan, I'm…" Asha faltered, feeling her heart sinking. "I'm so sorry. This is… This is all my fault."

If she hadn't asked for more food for the dragonets, Octavia never would have ordered J'lan to take his wing to Bitra for aid, and… everyone would still be alive.

_If it's anyone's fault… it is mine._  Kalianth rested her head on Asha's lap, her multifaceted eyes whirling yellow and grey.  _I complained about the lack of food._

J'lan sighed softly. "Don't blame yourself. Sugol still made the decision. You had no control over that. None of us did." He looked down at the young queen. "The same goes for Kalianth."

Kali hummed, some green flecking in her eyes. At least  _she_  found the bronzerider's words reassuring. Asha remained quiet, looking down at her partner, gently stroking the gold dragonet's head, trying to soothe her nerves. No matter what he said, she still felt  _responsible_  for the whole thing.

"...Do you think we'll be attacked?" she asked quietly, not taking her eyes off Kalianth.

There was a pause. "...If I'm perfectly honest? Yes."

She forced herself to look back up at him. J'lan had sat up straight, once again looking towards her. A knot twisted in her stomach. That was the last thing she wanted to hear right now.

"Sugol has no choice," J'lan continued. "He knows that my brother will retaliate—that he won't tolerate the murders of innocent dragonriders. He must strike now, or be stricken. I don't know what will become of this. I don't know how the other Weyrs and Holds will react. But Sugol… must pay for his actions." His hand clenched into a fist, as he glowered down at the table. "He  _cannot_  be allowed to go free."

Asha reached out, placing her hand over his fist. "We will catch him, J'lan. He will pay for his crimes. I promise."

His blue gaze flickered to their hands, then returned to meet her eyes. For a moment, he remained silent. She felt her throat tighten, her stomach giving a nervous clench. Perhaps… Perhaps J'lan wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps she was overreacting every time she became frustrated with him.

"...Yes," he agreed. "Thank you, Asha."

Before she could utter a word, J'lan pulled his hand out from underneath hers, stood up, and walked over to where C'zar was standing guard. Asha watched them for a moment, as they exchanged some quiet words. She finally released her breath, realizing she had been holding it, and looked down at Kalianth.

"I hope everything turns out all right," she muttered.

_They may have weapons, but we have dragons,_  Kalianth mused.  _And dragons have fire. We will be fine._

Asha wished she could be as optimistic.

* * *

A few hours passed. Asha wasn't sure if it was three or four, but time seemed to drag on. After the first hour, C'zar and J'lan swapped places. Eventually, Phoebe and V'rin came over to sit with her, as she had not left the table where she spoke with J'lan. When C'zar's watch was up, he joined them in their chat. He didn't seem too worried about the situation, but he also could be hiding it very well.

After the second hour passed, J'lan returned and C'zar excused himself to go on watch again. Unfortunately, J'lan did not join them. Instead, he took to leaning against the wall, away from the table, keeping to himself, staying closer to Yezmuth. Asha decided it would be best to leave him be. He was probably still reeling from the attack. She truly couldn't imagine what that had been like.

Everything seemed to blur together after that. V'rin tried to lift the mood, but neither of them seemed to want their moods to be lifted. Asha eventually zoned out of the conversation, nodding off, with Kalianth resting her head on her lap and dozing. With her arms folded on the table, her head resting there, she would have been content to nap right there. But it was short lived.

The watchdragon roared—a clear, bellowing roar that signaled the enemy had arrived.

Everyone snapped to attention, only to erupt into chaos. Asha jolted awake, along with Kalianth, who immediately stood up. Sitting up straight, Asha rubbed her eyes, trying to regain her bearings. All color had drained from V'rin's face, while Phoebe had pursed her lips in a hard line, worry swimming in her eyes. Asha immediately turned her attention to the dragonriders. C'zar was on watch again, and J'lan had immediately strode over to him.

"Looks like they  _are_  attacking," C'zar stated grimly, turning towards his friend.

"Stay on your guard," J'lan said. "Romanoth will inform us if they get too close."

C'zar nodded. "Roger that."

Asha stood up, brushing against Kalianth. The dragonet shifted away, allowing her to move by. She needed to make another headcount—to ensure that  _everyone_  was present. One by one, she counted her fellow weyrlings, making sure she saw every single familiar face. She relayed the information to Kalianth as she went.

_All bronze weyrlings are present... All brown weyrlings are present... All blue weyrlings are present… All green weyrlings-_

She cut herself off, the color draining from her face. She looked around the cavern again, quickly counting every head she saw. Much to her horror, the young twins and their greens were nowhere to be seen. They were the only twelve-year-olds, so she knew she wasn't miscounting.

_Anais and Laia are gone._

Kalianth's eyes whirled bright orange, the color drowning out everything else.  _We must find them._

_Scorch it._  This was her fault, in more way than one. If she hadn't fallen asleep, she might have noticed the two girls slipping away. Of course, no one else was paying attention, with how everyone was panicking over the Weyr actually being attacked. Not wasting another moment, she hurried over to where their two dragonrider guards were discussing the situation. Kalianth quickly followed after her.

"Anais and Laia are missing!"

Both men stopped, looking over at her, frowning. J'lan glanced over at C'zar, who gave a shrug, before returning his attention to her.

"Who?"

"Twin weyrlings," she answered, trying not to let her irritation show. "They both have greens. They're not here. I did another headcount, and they're  _gone_."

J'lan sighed, pressing a hand to his temple. "We can't afford to go looking for anyone now. Not when Bitra is on our doorstep."

"They're  _twelve years old_ ," Asha stated darkly, her hands clenching into fists. "They're  _children!_  We  _have_  to find them."

J'lan squeezed his eyes shut. "Asha, my orders are to remain here and protect the weyrlings. The Weyrleader commanded this himself. I cannot go against these orders."

Her anger flared, and for once, she couldn't hold her tongue. Nor did she  _want_  to.

"Is that all that matters to you?" Asha demanded, scowling fiercely. "Orders? Laws? What about  _people_? Do they matter to you at all? Do you ever follow your heart? Do you even  _have_  one?!"

For the first time since she had met him, J'lan showed full emotion. His eyes widened in pure shock, like he had just gotten slapped in the face. Even C'zar looked surprised, like he hadn't expected her to just  _explode_  on him. It was true, she was calm more often than not, but this had crossed the line. But he remained silent, not challenging her accusation. She had shocked him dumb.

"I don't care what you say," Asha retorted, taking a step away. "No one gave  _me_  orders. If you won't look for them, Kalianth and I will." She looked down at her bonded partner, who was almost at eye level with her. "Come on, Kali."

The young queen did not protest. She followed after her rider as Asha rushed out of the cavern, before J'lan or C'zar could try to stop her. They picked up their pace, running down the tunnel, until they reached the exit, just as Romanoth was shifting his massive form out of the way. Large eyes watched them, swirling red and orange, as they emerged from the tunnel.

"Sorry, Romanoth, but we're looking for missing weyrlings," Asha said, answering the dragon's silent question. "We'll be back as soon as possible."

Some yellow mixed into the whirling hues in his eyes, creating quite the miasma of color.  _Be careful. The enemy approaches._

He did not stop them. He let them pass without a problem, and once again they were on their way.

_At least he understands we have to find them,_  she grumbled.

_Romanoth is very reasonable,_  Kalianth agreed.

They followed the rim of the Weyr Bowl, heading immediately to where the weyrling barracks where. It was a special cavern where there were multiple weyrs, two weyrling pairs to each weyr, until the dragons got large enough to require their own space. Asha and Kalianth only didn't reside there because of their special status and Octavia requesting that she has them close in case of emergency. Anais and Laia shared their weyr, which had made them very happy when the weyr assignments had been given out. And that was where Asha guessed they were. Where else could they have gone?

But the Weyr was in chaos. Dragons flew around above, in the air, riders fastened in their harnesses. Others were on the ground—mostly weyrfolk, passing around weapons and arming everyone as quickly as possible. But they could see, in the distance, that Bitra had arrived, just as Romanoth had warned.

Thankfully, the lake helped their defenses. A lot. The Bitrans had to stick to the narrow pathway, which prevented them from outright charging in. But they were moving in fast, flanking some sort of black contraption, as they flooded into Benden like a horde of spinners.

Asha faltered, slowing down as she saw that weird contraption halt in the center of intersection that led to different areas in the Bowl. It consisted of a black metal cylinder that rested on what appeared to be a wooden wheelbarrow. It was open on one end, but not on the other. She watched in confusion as someone began to raise the cylinder so the open end was pointing towards the sky. A cart pulled by horses stopped next to it, while other soldiers continued on, meeting their matches with shouts and clanging metal. The driver hopped down, and retrieved something from inside the cart—a large black ball that glistened like it, too, was made of metal. He heaved the ball over to the contraption, dropping it inside the cylinder after staggering back as he tried to lift it. The other man did something behind the contraption. And then, with a deafening,  _BOOM!_  something fired out of the cylinder.

Flinching away from the sound, mixed with shrieks and screams, Asha watched as the black sphere struck a bronze dragon in the air. She watched in horror as she saw his coppery hide crumple under its pressure, his ribcage sinking into itself. The dragon was knocked out of the sky with a terrified cry of agony, sent spiraling until he crashed into the Bowl below, crushing his rider and the unfortunate weyrfolk who had been unable to get out of the way in time.

_Wh-Wha-_

Furious roars resonated around the entire Weyr, as the dragons who weren't already out and about stuck their heads out of their weyrs, all but emerging and taking to the air. Kalianth, too, let out a enraged roar, though hers wasn't nearly as menacing due to her youth. All Asha could do was stare in shock, trying to process what happened.

_They just… blasted that bronze… out of the sky. What IS that thing?_

_I do not know, but I will destroy it,_  Kalianth growled.

Asha snapped out of her daze.  _Not at this size you won't. Come on, we need to hurry._

Not had she taken another step forward when a familiar voice called to them. "Asha!"

Gritting her teeth, she paused again, looking behind her to see none other than J'lan running towards them. Shards, her balking had allowed him to catch up. She forced herself to turn around to face him, but Kalianth glanced back, only to turn around when she noticed Romanoth was following. Trying not to look too irritated, Asha crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you want?" she demanded once he had caught up, his dragon's movement causing the ground to tremble with each step.

"If you're going to be reckless and do this, the least I can do is come along and ensure your safety," he said, before glancing back at his massive bronze and sighing. "Besides... Romanoth would never forgive me if I let weyrlings die."

So Romanoth was his moral compass. Why was she not surprised?

"Fine," she said, turning back around. "But we  _have_  to hurry."

Asha didn't waste another moment speaking to him. Once again, she was on the move, Kalianth right behind her, leaving the man and his dragon to keep up. The earth trembled, making them nearly lose their footing, but both girl and dragonet managed to stay balanced. Asha looked up to see Romanoth above them, gliding through the air, to land on one of the ledges that led to a personal weyr. His claws clipped against the rock, sending dust and bits of stone raining down upon them. Once they had run past that ledge, he launched himself off it, gliding to land on the next one, keeping himself above them.

Unfortunately, the weyrling caverns, as they were called, were across the Bowl, closer to the bridges that connected the entrance to the Weyr to the main Bowl. And as one could probably guess, that was where the bulk of the Bitran forces had gathered. But they had no choice. That had to be where Anais and Laia fled to, and it was in a hotbed of dangerous activity. Asha was about to step out into the open, away from the Weyr's walls, away from Romanoth's shadow, when J'lan grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. "Running right into the fray?"

Asha turned towards him, scowling. "The weyrling caverns are there. Anais and Laia  _have_  to be there. There's nowhere else for them to go." She yanked her wrist out of his grip. "You don't have to go if you're too scared. Kalianth and I can do this ourselves."

Romanoth rumbled, lowering his head into clear view.  _We are no cowards. I will burn them with my fire if I must._

J'lan sighed. "I was afraid it would come to this. J'lor had us feed our dragons firestone in anticipation of the attack."

Asha's eyes widened. "You can't be serious-"

The bronze's eyes whirled red and orange.  _I do not relish in my ability to take life. But I will do what I must to protect the Weyr, dragons and humans alike. J'lan agrees._

"Yes…" The bronzerider squeezed his eyes shut. "We have no choice."

But there was no time to dwell on this horrible realization that they could very well burn people alive, because the black contraption fired again. This time, the shriek of pain belonged to a blue dragon. The metal ball struck him in the abdomen, snapping his back and sending him spinning like a boomerang, crashing into the Weyr's wall. There was a horrified human scream as his rider, who was on the ground, was stabbed from behind by one of the Bitrans.

"Romanoth."

The mighty bronze didn't have to be told twice. He launched himself off the ledge, soaring over the three of them, to blast a stream of bright flames right on the enemies. Luckily, any riders who had been in that skirmish figure out what had been about to happen fast, and dove out of the way, only being grazed by the fire. Romanoth perched on one of the ledges above the entrance to the weyrling caverns, his eyes burning red with anger at the deaths of his brothers. Other dragons—blues and greens—came darting in to aid their riders who were on the ground, as the Bitrans flailed around, screaming in agony as they burned, before dropping dead.

Romanoth raised his head, shifting to his full height, and let out a deep roar that resonated through the Weyr, joined by his fellow dragons. More dragons took to the air, breathing fire any Bitrans who were stupid enough to stick together in groups.

This… This was horrible. Why was Sugol  _doing_  this?

"Go," J'lan said, as Romanoth jumped off the ledge to glide down and land behind his rider. "Find the weyrlings. Bunker down in the caverns if you must. We won't let anyone get by."

Asha's eyes widened. "What about you?"

"We will ensure that that thing doesn't knock any more dragons out of the sky," J'lan stated grimly, before taking a step forward, closing the distance between them. He unstrapped his sword's sheath from his belt, and handed it to her. "Take this. Use it if you're attacked."

"I don't know how to use a sword," she protested, pushing the weapon back towards him. "And your arm is broken. You need something to defend yourself with."

J'lan shook his head. "I have Romanoth. You and Kalianth are practically unarmed. I'd feel better if you could defend yourselves somehow."

She took the blade, albeit reluctantly, and quickly bound the sheath to her belt. J'lan nodded, appearing to be satisfied, and turned around to face Romanoth, who was waiting. Kalianth's mind pressed against hers, reminding her that they needed to hurry. She forced herself to turn her back on J'lan and Romanoth, and bolted for the tunnel entrance, her dragonet right behind her.

Unsurprisingly, the tunnel was vacant. The only sounds came from the fighting outside and the heavy footsteps of weyrling and dragonet as they hurried down the path. Kalianth fumbled a couple of times, still a bit ungainly with her long limbs, but she managed to keep up regardless.

If Asha recalled correctly, the twins' weyr was further inside, near the end of the tunnel. The duo slowed down as they approached the caverns. Kalianth reached out with her mind, searching for her two sisters. Just in case, Asha peeked inside each weyr they passed, hoping that she hadn't missed any other weyrlings in the chaos. Thankfully, she found no one else.

Voices sounded in the distance. Two lithe green dragonets emerged from the farthest weyr. Immediately, Kalianth leaped forward, awkwardly shifting her wings to try to keep balance. Winonath and Tallulath let out relieved cheeps at the sight of their golden sister.

"Anais? Laia?" Asha called as she reached the entrance to their shared weyr.

She spotted the two girls further back, standing in front of the dresser between their beds. They both jerked towards her, still shocked, despite their dragons' warnings. Asha still wasn't used to seeing them together, with how they were identical. They both had the same brown hair and green eyes, their faces shaped exactly the same. The only difference was that Anais kept her hair in a braid and was wearing pants, while Laia kept her hair in a bun and was wearing a skirt. Winonath was bonded to Anais and Tallulath was bonded to Laia.

"Asha?" Laia asked, eyes wide in surprise, as her sister clutched something to her chest.

She walked past the young dragons, entering the weyr and hurrying over to them. "What were you  _thinking_ , coming back here? You could've been killed!"

Both girls flinched. For a moment, Asha felt guilty for being so harsh, but it was true. They  _all_  could still be killed. Them coming here was foolish and reckless. All Asha could do was hope that it didn't cause the death of any more riders and dragons—especially J'lan and Romanoth. It was true she wasn't particularly fond of the man, but Romanoth was kind in his own way and both would make fine future Weyrleaders. Perhaps she and Kali weren't as needed, with the many queens in the Weyr, but Benden could not afford to lose those two.

"We're sorry…" Anais said quietly, looking down at whatever she was holding in her arms. "But we had to… we had to get our mama's journal." She lowered her arms to show that she was holding a journal; it was bound with leather, the cover scuffed and beaten up, tied together with a strip of leather. It had obviously seen better days. "It's all we have left of her."

...Oh.

Asha blinked, caught off guard. She… hadn't expected this. "What… happened to your mother?"

"It was always just the three of us," Laia said softly. "We never knew our father. But people treated us awful for it… for being  _bastards_."

As soon as she said that word, the two greens returned, weaving around Asha to stand by their rider's sides. Asha felt a nudge on her shoulder, and knew it was Kalianth. Tallulath pressed her face into Laia's side, while Winonath shifted to stand so she brushed up against Anais's side.

"We've never had much," Anais said, reaching out to scratch Winonath behind a headknob. "But we never needed much either, as long as we had each other. We tried not to care what other people said about us, but… we saw how it hurt Mama. We saw how the scorn and mistreatment wore her down."

"Then she got sick," Laia continued solemnly. "Within a week, Mama was… gone."

"The orphanage took us," Anais said, a bitterness sharpening her voice. "It was awful. We ran away. Left the town. Tried to find somewhere else to live. But we ended up stuck on the streets in Benden Hold, scavenging for food. I'm not sure which is worse."

"But then G'eran found us," Laia said, smiling a little. "He's a bronzerider. He found us living on the street. He Searched us so we could get off the streets. We had nowhere else to go, so we went with him. Even if we didn't Impress, we'd at least have a safe place to live."

"And look how safe it is now," Anais muttered.

That… most definitely was unexpected. Asha couldn't even be angry with them now. Of course they wanted to make sure their mother's journal was safe… If she was in their situation, she would probably do the same. She couldn't blame them. Not at all. These poor girls had been through so much.

_Romanoth says to stay in here,_  Kalianth said, breaking the silence as she projected her voice inside everyone's mind. We should be safer-

_BOOM!_

The surrounding rock rattled above them, raining dust and particles down on them. The twins squeaked in fear, immediately latching onto their dragons. Kalianth let out a low growl, turning to face the exit. Asha turned as well, wondering what in Faranth's name that had been.

A pained roar that radiated anger sounded from outside, muffled by the layers of bedrock between them and the outside. Kalianth tensed, her eyes turning pure red. Anais and Laia shifted back, their eyes wide, their dragons' eyes whirling yellow and orange. Asha remained quiet, instead stepping up to stand beside her bondmate. Whatever was happening outside, they needed to keep to themselves, and not make the young girls even more afraid.

_What's happening?_  Asha asked.

_Romanoth just got clipped by one of the metal balls,_  Kalianth growled.  _He is fine. It just bloodied him up a little. He's going in for the metal monster. Oh, he just crushed it. The Bitrans are angry. One just shot at him with this contraption like a miniature version of the metal monster._

Another angered roar resonated through the Weyr, followed by a series of other roars. Asha reached out to place a hand on the young queen's shoulder, trying not to shudder. Despite knowing they were mostly safe inside the weyrling caverns, she couldn't help but think of her fellow weyrfolk who were outside, fighting for their lives. Her heart pounded inside her chest, anxiety spiking with each dragon's battle cry. Everything else was too muffled to make out, but the dragons were  _loud_.

_The dragons are united. No more of us will die._  A jolt of surprise spiked from Kalianth's mind, shocking Asha a little.  _Mother and Father have joined the fray. They are infuriated._

As if on cue, the faint roaring of two dragons sounded from outside. It was harder to hear, as it was more far away, but it was still there. Maybe now Bitra would retreat and leave them alone. But that hope was short lived, as the echoes of footsteps began to sound further down the tunnel.

Asha froze.

A voice sounded from down the tunnel, muffled but still audible.

_Shards._

Asha immediately reached for the lended sword, as Kalianth tensed, arching her neck. She glanced behind at Anais and Laia, mouthing  _Hide_. She wasn't sure where they could actually hide in here, but it was better than being completely out in the open. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the blade, but she hesitated. Could she really do this? Could she really, truly kill someone, even in self-defense?

She didn't have much of a choice. She slid the sword out of its sheath, hands trembling.

Two men appeared, wearing chainmail underneath tabards that displayed Bitra's coat of arms. As soon as the invaders saw them, one raised his blade. Asha panicked, freezing in place.

"It's the little bitch who mauled Lady Velda!" one of them snarled.

Kalianth let out a growl, her entire body tensed as if she was ready to pounce. She arched her neck and unfurled her wings, as if to try to make herself look larger. The man with the raised sword took a step forward. Asha immediately pointed her borrowed weapon at him.

"Not a step closer," she said, trying to make herself sound intimidating, but the tremble in her voice betrayed her.

"Or what?" the other man demanded. "You'll run us through? Put that sword down, girl, before you hurt yourself."

"No," Asha spat, scowling. "Back off."

"Enough of these games," the first man snapped, before lunging forward.

He moved faster than either woman nor dragon could have anticipated. The next thing Asha knew, the borrowed sword had been smacked out of her hand. The force knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling on the ground. Kalianth snarled, leaping forward as the soldier raised his blade to strike. The young queen swatted the sword out of his hand, claws tearing into his flesh, and pounced, slamming him into the dirt. His scream of terror was cut off short as she ripped out his throat.

_No one hurts Asha,_  Kalianth growled, eyes whirling red, projecting her voice for the remaining soldier to hear.  _Leave us, or you will share his fate._

She must have been terrifying, standing over the corpse, red blood staining her claws. The man's eyes were wide, his mouth open. He took a tentative step back. And then another. And another. Before finally turning tail and fleeing. For a moment, Asha stood there, her own eyes wide, trying to process what had just happened. Kalianth stepped off the body, before glancing back at her bondmate, her eyes mellowing out to orange and yellow.

_I will do what you cannot,_  she said, yellow taking over the whirling in her eyes.  _I will protect you._

Asha staggered to her feet. She moved beside the young queen and threw her arms around the dragonet's neck, burying her face into the soft hide of her neck. And she wept.

* * *

_Day 15, Month 6, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

The next three days went by quickly.

Bitra ended up calling for retreat as soon as both of their cannons—as the Council had taken to calling them, claiming that the designs had been present in AIVAS's historical files—had been destroyed. In the chaos, Octavia had sent one of her firelizards to the Lord Holder of Benden, Elam, the Weyr's staunchest non-dragonrider-related ally, to call for help. He had reacted quickly and sent men immediately, who caught Bitra from behind. Sugol and his highest ranking officials had been arrested and surrenders from the soldiers had been taken. Anyone who resisted was killed. But the Lord Holder of Bitra was now locked away in the dungeons of Benden Hold, and that was all that mattered.

But the Weyr had taken losses. The cannons had blasted craters in the stone walls, along with slaughtering dragons. If their riders did not die in battle, they committed suicide shortly after. More riders had perished in the conflict, as humans were more vulnerable, and their dragons had gone in  _between_. In the end, Benden Weyr had lost at  _least_  ten percent of its population, if not more. Many more were wounded. The infirmary was overflowing. Thankfully, Lord Elam had offered to take some of the injured to his Hold for treatment. Regardless, the healers were working almost nonstop, and were constantly switching out on shifts.

Asha found herself busy. She helped in the infirmary as much as she could. Her presence was more to boost the morale of the wounded. The dragonriders were relieved that their young queen was safe and sound. Weyrling lessons were canceled until further notice, so she spent more of her time helping Octavia put everything back together. Of course, Lorelei was of no help.

Octavia was, without a doubt, beyond stressed. When Sugol had been captured, Serelath had to assert her dominance over every dragon in the Weyr so they would not follow J'lor and Rionneleth's orders to continue on to attack Bitra. "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth," the Weyrleader had said, enraged by what had happened. But Octavia believed that would make them no better than Sugol, and they  _had_  to be better. This was unprecedented. They had to set the standard for how a Weyr would handle an attack. Asha had to agree with her.

None of the weyrlings had been injured. C'zar and Yezmuth had kept them safe and sound. But J'lan and Romanoth were not so fortunate. Asha knew he was bound to get hurt, seeing as he gave her his only weapon. He had been stabbed right through the gut—triggering Romanoth's rage—but thankfully it had been a clean thrust and missed any vital organs. Romanoth's hide had been scraped and bruised by the cannonball that had grazed him; it had enough force to bruise his ribs, even. J'lan was holed up in the infirmary instead of his weyr, as the healers didn't want to take any chances with complications. Asha had insisted on helping C'zar care for Romanoth, as J'lan's injury was partially her fault.

The fourth day arrived. After breakfast, Asha oiled Kalianth and walked her to Romanoth's weyr, as she wished to keep him company. Then she headed off to the council room where the Senior Weyrwoman made her office. As usual, the door was left wide open, but she could hear voices from within—Octavia and J'lor, by the sounds of it. Their voices sounded tense, like they were all but outright arguing. Asha was hesitant to interrupt, but she had promised to meet with Octavia every morning after breakfast.

"...have lost too much." J'lor sounded curt, anger sharpening his voice. "Several greenriders have miscarried because they had to go  _between_  to avoid cannonfire and they were simply trying to get to the wounded. That, added to all the injuries and casualties, has made everyone restless. They want Sugol to pay for his crimes."

"It breaks my heart, J'lor… it truly does. But we cannot answer violence with more violence. That is not our way." Octavia sighed so loudly she might as well have been standing in the tunnel. "Sugol is locked up. That is all we need. R'mel of Fort has agreed to send a young bronzerider here to replace G'eran, may he rest in peace, with how few bronzes we have."

...G'eran? Why did that name sound familiar? Wait…

That was the rider who Searched Anais and Laia. He must have been the rider of the bronze who was first hit by the cannon. Her heart sank. Oh, she hoped the twins hadn't heard yet… They would be devastated by the news.

"I've also gotten in touch with the other Weyrs," Octavia continued. "They all agree we need to have a mass meeting with the Lord Holders about what to do with Sugol. We should ask Elam if he could contact the other Holds about this."

"Diplomacy won't fix everything, Octavia," J'lor said coldly. "Times are changing. We need to investigate what happened on the Southern Continent."

"We have more pressing matters than what happened down South," Octavia answered brusquely. "Let me do my job, and I'll let you do yours."

There was a loud slamming sound. "Scorch it, Octavia, you aren't  _letting_  me do my job!"

Heavy silence. Asha hesitated. Perhaps it would be best to just leave and come back later? Cautiously, she peered inside. Octavia stood behind the table as usual, while J'lor was across from her, on the other side. His hands were on the table, leaning into them. She realized he must have struck the table. J'lor stood up straight, and she hastily jerked back into the tunnel, so she wouldn't be spotted.

"I'm going to check up on the wounded," J'lor said, breaking the silence before it dragged on further. "Is there anything you need?"

"No. I'm fine."

There was another moment of silence. Asha took that chance to back up further, so it would look more like she was just coming down the hallway, instead of eavesdropping for the past couple of minutes. It was a good thing she did, because J'lor stepped out of the council room. He noticed her as she walked back down the tunnel, gave her a nod, and continued on his way.

Fighting back a sigh, Asha forced herself to continue. She walked into the council room to find the Weyrwoman still standing behind the war table. Octavia looked up at the sound of footsteps, tensing, only to relax again. That argument must have really put her on edge.

"Is this a bad time?" Asha asked, hesitating.

"Oh, no, come in." Octavia waved her off, glancing down at the map for a brief moment. "How can I help you, Asha?"

"Well, I was wondering if you had any work for me," she said, walking up to the table.

"Ah…" Octavia shook her head. "No, the midwife has ordered me to take today off. This stress… is not good for the baby." She rested a hand on her belly. "You should take today to relax as well. A lot… has been going on. We need to take every chance we get to breathe."

Asha frowned. Well, that was understandable… especially with the disagreement she had just overheard. She decided it would be best not to argue, and nodded.

"All right, I will," she said. "Are you sure there isn't anything you need?"

Octavia smiled tired and shook her head. "I'm fine, Asha. Truly. Go enjoy your day off."

Asha nodded, excused herself, and headed on her way.

..

* * *

Though drudges came through regularly to clean her weyr due to her being a weyrwoman, Asha decided to use the time to tidy up and reorganize. It was strange not having Kalianth present, but she knew the young dragon was enjoying her time chatting with Romanoth. It would be selfish of her to call her back just to have company. No, she'd have to keep herself busy.

For everything that had happened, it was still hard to believe that this was her life now. She would never return to the farm. She probably would never see her parents again, unless she found the time to visit, once Kalianth could fly. Still, she wasn't getting her hopes up. There was so much going on now, and who knew what things would be like once they could fly.

She moved to clear off the desk, only to find the stack of books that J'lan had lent her months ago. She had completely forgotten she'd finished reading them all. Perhaps now would be a good time to return them. J'lan had be bored laying around in bed all day, as he was ordered to stay bedridden. Plus… it would be a good opportunity to apologize, considering her outbursts the other day.

So she gathered up the books, told Kalianth she was heading to the infirmary, and went on her way. In a few minutes, she had arrived.

The infirmary was still just as packed four days later, but healers were rushing around less and there wasn't as much moaning. Asha knew the person she sought was further back in the cavern. She shifted her hold on the books, trying to make them not look too obvious. A couple healers greeted her as she walked by, which she returned, but not without mentioning she was just here to visit.

Finally, she reached J'lan. He was propped up against some pillows, covered by a blanket, his arm still in a sling. His eyes were closed, his chest slowly rising and falling, like he was asleep, but she wasn't sure. She hesitated, glancing over at the nightstand. She could just put the books down there if he  _was_  asleep.

_Kalianth? Could you ask Romanoth if J'lan is awake?_

There was a pause. _Yes. Romanoth says he is trying to ignore everything._

Why was she not surprised?

Asha cleared her throat. J'lan opened his eyes, his gaze immediately flickering over to her. For a moment, neither said a word.

"...What?" he asked curtly, breaking the silence.

Asha fought the urge to scowl and retort. No, she needed to be the better person here. She had come here to apologize and return his books, not be baited into another argument. Briefly, she closed her eyes and took a breath to calm herself.

"I wanted to… apologize." Asha forced herself to open her eyes and meet his gaze. "For what I said the other day. It was uncalled for and I shouldn't have said it. You were simply trying to do your job and I overreacted. I'm sorry."

J'lan remained silent, his gaze shifting away from her, before returning. "Don't apologize. You were right… as loathe as I am to admit it."

Asha's eyes widened. What?

He looked away again. "I should have agreed to look for the girls, or at least sent C'zar to do so. But I didn't. For that, I apologize."

For a moment, Asha didn't know what to say. She honestly hadn't expected this. Maybe she truly had been wrong about him. Maybe she had misjudged him. She thought of how Remma asked her to be his friend. She supposed she could do that, now that she saw he wasn't actually all that bad.

"...I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," she said. "Anais and Laia are. And they're… traumatized by what happened."

It was true. After they had seen Kalianth… maul that soldier to death… they'd been waking up to nightmares. Asha felt awful. It was her own fault for being so weak. If she hadn't balked, Kali never would have done that. The death would have been clean. The twins would have at least been  _less_  traumatized. This all was just one huge mess.

J'lan sighed, looking down. "Yes. Of course."

Asha hesitated. "I… I also thought you'd like these back." She finally set the books down on the nightstand. "You could use them more than me."

He looked back up, at the books, and then back at her. Letting out a sigh, his shoulders relaxed and he closed his eyes once more, a faint smile tugging on his lips.

"Thank you, Asha. I'll put them to good use."


	8. Aftermath

_Day 18, Month 6, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

A sevenday had passed since Bitra's attack, and the Weyr wasn't much better off. More weyrfolk had been released from the infirmary, but that was perhaps the only positive occurrence. But with the injured healing, Asha and the other weyrlings found themselves not as busy and Y'gan announced their training would start back up soon.

Asha had just finished oiling Kalianth for the day—she had grown exponentially over the past several days, which had to be connected to her increasing appetite—when one of Octavia's firelizards delivered a message to come to the council room. So she washed her hands, parted with the young queen, and went to see what was going on. What could possibly have gone wrong now?

Along the way, somewhat surprisingly, she bumped into J'lan.

It was the first time she had seen them since their 'truce'. She wasn't really sure what to really call it, other than a proper beginning to their friendship. Still, she wasn't expecting to see him up and about after being ordered bed rest—though it had been a sevenday. She had to admit, he did look better. His arm was still wrapped up, in a sling, but broken bones did not heal quickly. His tunic was not tucked in like he usually did, most likely due to the fact that his torso was still bandaged. He walked along ahead of her, unnoticing of her presence.

"J'lan," she greeted in surprise, catching his attention. "What are you doing out here?"

The bronzerider paused, glancing behind him, before coming to a complete halt when he saw it was her. "Asha. Good morning."

"You didn't answer my question," she said flatly, stopping in front of him. "I thought you were supposed to be bedridden."

He grimaced. "Ah, well, the Masterhealer gave me the clear today. Mostly because J'lor demanded it. Apparently my assistance is needed."

"While you're injured?" She narrowed her eyes. "What could you possibly help with? Er, no offense."

"None taken," he said dryly. "I don't know. Something is going on. I imagine you are on your way to council room as well, yes?"

Asha nodded. "Yes. I wonder what the Weyrleaders want."

"Well, there is only one way to find out." J'lan turned back around, gesturing forward. "Shall we?"

She nodded again, joining him in continuing the walk to the council room. As they approached, voices could be heard, but they were calm, unlike previous times she came by. The door was already open, as usual, so they simply walked on in. Octavia stood behind the war table, with J'lor beside her, and Kasa off to the other side. Everyone looked up as they entered the room.

"Perfect timing," the Weyrwoman said. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Of course, Octavia," J'lan said, as they stopped behind the table, across from the two Weyrleaders. "Has something else happened, or-?"

"In a way," J'lor answered, drawing their attention to him. "The Weyrs and Holds have come to an agreement. The Weyrleaders and Lord and Lady Holders are all to meet at Benden Weyr to discuss the fate of Lord Sugol and Bitra Hold. It's to be a grand council. Unfortunately, we expect it to last many days, if not sevendays. The nobility of Pern has always been hard to please."

"Thus, we have come to the decision that you two will lead the Weyr in our stead," Octavia announced, before turning her gaze onto her. "I need Kasa to come with me for assistance, and I cannot rely on Lorelei to keep the Weyr in order. I'm sorry to ask this of you so soon, Asha, but you are the only one I can count on to look out for Benden's best interests."

Asha's eyes widened. This… was not what she expected. At all.

Octavia gave a small, apologetic smile. "Think of it as practice for when you become Senior Weyrwoman someday. It will be good for you and Kalianth."

Not if.  _When_. As if their fates were so clear. Set in stone.

"And to further support your authority, I have made the decision to appoint J'lan as Weyrsecond," J'lor declared, his gaze falling on the bronzerider. "You have long since been worthy of the title, brother. I apologize for not giving it to you sooner."

"There is no need to apologize," J'lan said. "Much has been on your mind. It is a great honor to serve you as Weyrsecond. I will do my best."

Octavia returned her attention to the younger weyrwoman. "You have no objections, do you, Asha?"

"Oh, no… of course not." She shook her head, fighting the urge to grimace. "It would be my honor to look out for the Weyr in your stead."

"Good." This time, Octavia's smile was pure and genuine. "You can always ask anyone for help, whether it's Remma or one of your weyrling friends. None of us expect you to be perfect at this yet. And I'm sure J'lan would be happy to aid you as well."

"Of course," J'lan said dryly, catching the hint of  _you better help her_  in the Weyrwoman's voice.

"Also," J'lor continued, "the new bronzerider sent by Fort should be arriving shortly. He should be of some assistance in these coming days."

Octavia's eyes widened. "Oh, one more thing, before I forget… Vanth is due to mate soon. Will you two be able to handle that?"

...Wait, what?

J'lan grimaced. "Vanth's mating flights aren't exactly popular, but I'll ensure no one gets out of hand. I don't know if anyone has even expressed an interest in participating. We bronzeriders aren't very enthralled by Lorelei."

"None of us can you really blame you," J'lor muttered. "But regardless, you know the drill. Make sure no one takes advantage of the weyrlings, as queen flights tend to get… more rowdy than greens. Especially our junior weyrwoman here."

J'lan let out an exasperated sigh. "I am very much aware, unfortunately."

Asha hesitated for a moment. "...Define 'rowdy'."

J'lor looked away at the doorway. "Nothing to worry yourself about, Asha. It seems our guest and new dragonrider have arrived. You should go greet them. We need to prepare to leave. We'll be flying to Benden Hold, rather than going between."

Octavia grimaced. "This will be fun."

"It'll be an adventure, that's for sure," Kasa muttered under her breath, before turning towards the interim Weyrleaders—Asha, in particular. "Take care, Asha. I don't think you'll have too much difficulty, but don't let anyone walk over you just because your queen isn't fully grown. I'm sure someone will try that. I don't think Lorelei will try to undermine your authority, but… be careful."

Asha nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Kasa."

Octavia and J'lor excused themselves then, and Kasa followed after them. Asha lingered, as did J'lan, watching them as they walked out of the room, disappearing into the tunnel. But what the Weyrleaders had said still spun in her mind. She looked over at her fellow interim Weyrleader, eying him.

"...Do the bronzeriders talk about us?"

He glanced back at her. "What?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do the bronzeriders discuss the goldriders?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I'd rather not answer."

"Have you… been with Lorelei?"

J'lan stiffened, something flickering in his eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "...Unfortunately."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. Really." He turned away. "It was Vanth's first mating flight in Benden. I had recently graduated to full-fledged dragonrider. I wasn't really prepared for a queen's flight, and neither was Romanoth. Like J'lor said, they're… different. More lively. A queen's influence is much wider than any green's. I don't remember much from that. And I have no interest in repeating it, if that's what you're concerned about."

"Why would I be concerned?" she asked defensively. "I don't care what you do."

"I don't know." J'lan narrowed his eyes. "Why would you?"

For some asinine reason, Asha felt her cheeks burn. "Well, I don't care. I was just curious, with everything everyone has been saying about Lorelei." She scowled. "You still haven't answered my question about the bronzeriders."

"And I have no intentions to," he said dryly, before turning away. "Now we should go meet the arrivals, as we were supposed to do in the first place."

He already was walking away though, leaving her no choice but to follow.

* * *

The Weyr Bowl was bustling with activity by the time they got there. In fact, a small crowd had gathered. Two bronze dragons sat near the first platform near the entrance, surrounded by people. They both were fairly large, though the smaller one was very much familiar. There was no way… Without saying a word, Asha rushed on ahead, leaving J'lan behind. She pushed through the crowd, saying, "Excuse me," and "Pardon me," when needed. Finally, she got to the front.

There, chatting with none other than Y'gan, was her brother, T'kan.

"Brother!" she exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face for the first time in months, before running up and giving him a big hug.

"Oof—Asha, is that you? Shards, you actually made me move."

Of course, she took a step back and punched him in the arm. "Shut up. You take your sweet time to come see me and Kalianth, and this is how you greet me?"

Regardless, her brother looked well. He was seven turns older than her, making him twenty-six. He was tall and broad-shouldered, though not nearly as tall as J'lan or his brother. He was one to talk about gaining weight. He seemed to have put on more muscle since the last time she saw him. Out of all three of them, Asha and T'kan looked the most alike. T'kan had the same straight dark brown hair as her, though he wore his short, parted to the side, his bangs falling towards his blue-grey eyes. His skin was more tanned than she remembered, and his face was rugged with stubble.

T'kan raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, sis, Weyr business keeps me busy. I really have been meaning to visit you and Kirana, so that's why I volunteered to deliver this guy."

She glanced over to see the other bronzerider, who was apparently the one who was transferring to Benden. He was young, probably only a turn older than her. He stood at average height, not built particularly impressively. His hair was a mop of light brown curls, his skin fair, and his eyes were a cool shade of blue. But something about him caught her attention, even though she didn't know what.

"Um, hi," he greeted, smiling sheepishly. "I'm A'den, and this is Chroneth." He gestured to the large bronze behind him, who was nearly the same size as Romanoth. He awkwardly held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

For a moment, she stared at his hand, before accepting it and giving him a handshake. "I'm Asha. I'm standing in as Senior Weyrwoman for Octavia."

"Huh, she picked you?" T'kan asked in surprise.

"She took Kasa with her."

"Kasa? Oh, you mean Jokasa." T'kan frowned. "I suppose that makes sense."

"...Jokasa?"

"That would be Kasa's full name."

Asha glanced over to see that J'lan had finally caught up, as the crowd began to disperse. A'den's eyes widened when he saw him, obviously not expecting to see his arm in a sling. Even T'kan seemed a little taken aback.

"She just prefers to go by Kasa," J'lan finished, as he stopped beside her, as he turned his attention on the two bronzeriders. "It's been a while, T'kan. And welcome to Benden…"

"A'den," the young rider said quickly. "A'den of bronze Chroneth."

J'lan nodded. "Well, welcome to Benden. I am J'lan of bronze Romanoth, Weyrsecond and temporarily appointed Weyrleader. We appreciate you volunteering to transfer here. We need all the help we can get."

"How many bronzeriders do you even have now?" T'kan asked.

J'lan grimaced. "Ten, including A'den and two weyrlings."

"That's… not good." T'kan frowned. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. We still have a decent amount of queens throughout the Weyrs."

"We do have more pressing matters," J'lan said. "Such as the situation with Bitra."

T'kan made a face. "I noticed the Weyr's taken a beating."

"We were really lucky," Asha said quietly.

T'kan glanced down at his sister, as silence fell upon them. Then, he stepped up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, catching her by surprise.

"Well, enough doom and gloom," he said, giving a warm smile. "I think I'm going to take this chance to catch up with my sisters, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," J'lan said. "I'll take care of A'den and Chroneth."

"Great!" He released her shoulder. "Let's go, Asha. Behemeth and I have been dying to meet this little queen of yours."

* * *

Asha led her brother and his dragon to her personal weyr, where Kalianth awaited. As soon as they reached the weyr, Kalianth was there, waiting, expecting. She walked right up to T'kan, eyes whirling blue-green. She looked at him, and then at the large bronze behind him, and then back at her bondmate.

_This is your brother? He is good. He is older than you. He isn't your clutchmate?_

Asha almost shook her head.  _Humans have children a bit differently than dragons, Kali…_

The dragonet snorted. If you say so. She then turned her attention to them.  _Hello. I am Kalianth. You are welcome to stay here with me, Behemeth, for as long as your rider remains. I don't mind the company._

Behemeth rumbled, his mindvoice deep and heavy, like melted chocolate.  _The dragon of T'kan's sister is a friend of my mine._

T'kan, however, seemed at a loss. He put his hands on his hips, sizing up the young queen. He then turned to face his sister.

"...You know, I expected her to be… larger."

Kalianth huffed, raising her nose.  _Excuse me, I have nearly doubled my size since last sevenday._

"You're not the only one," Asha sighed. "But she has grown a lot since last sevenday. I think she may finally be catching up. She was… small when she hatched."

_My heart makes up for my lack of stature._

"Well, it's not that surprising," T'kan said. "Serelath is small for a queen, and Myrlith is about average. I don't think anyone expects any of her daughters to be huge, especially with a brown as their father, but who knows? Late bloomers do tend to defy expectations."

"Well, I don't really care," Asha said, giving a shrug. "She's perfect just the way she is now."

Kalianth hummed, pressing her face up against her arm.  _Thank you, Asha. At least someone here appreciates me._

"Didn't mean to imply there was something wrong," T'kan said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Have you… spoken to Kirana lately?"

"No, not really."

He let out a sigh. "Well, is it true? Did she really Impress a brown?"

"Yes. His name is Quiyeth."

T'kan nodded. "Well, I'd like to see them. Do you know where they are?"

Asha looked over at Kalianth.  _They are in the weyrling caves,_  the young gold answered after a moment.

She relayed the message to her brother.

"Well, let's head there, then," he said. "You know the way."

Asha wasn't particularly thrilled about the prospect of seeing her sister, but she also needed to ask Phoebe and V'rin if they would be willing to help her with her temporary duties. And they were most likely in the weyrling caverns as well. She still wasn't sure how to feel about Kirana, after that apology. The fact that she had been chosen by a dragon was proof that Kirana wasn't a bad person, but…

"All right," she said. "Kali, you should stay here with Behemeth."

The dragonet nodded.  _Yes, of course._

With that, Asha led her brother out of the weyr and back to the Bowl. The gathering had cleared completely by now, leaving the Bowl looking as it normally did. It was surreal thinking that just a few days ago, blood had stained the earth and bodies had littered the ground. She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind, her stomach beginning to churn.

They reached the entrance to the weyrling caverns, so Asha led the way inside. She could hear the murmuring of voices further inside, telling her some of the weyrlings were indeed in their weyrs. But right as they rounded a corner down the tunnel, Phoebe and Azurith appeared, leaving their weyr.

"Phoebe!" Asha exclaimed in surprise.

"Sorry," the redhead said quickly, her gaze flickering over to T'kan, and then back to her again. "I was just about to take Azurith swimming."

"Oh, I wish I could do that," she sighed. "This is my brother, T'kan, rider of bronze Behemeth, by the way. I'm taking him to see Kirana." Then she turned towards her brother. "T'kan, this is my friend, Phoebe, and her dragonet, Azurith."

"Ah, a future bluerider, eh?" T'kan held out his hand. "It's been a while since I've seen a female bluerider. We don't have any at Fort. Nice to meet you, Phoebe."

Hesitantly, Phoebe accepted his handshake. "It's nice to meet you, too, T'kan."

He released her hand, giving her a friendly smile. "Well, thanks for being friends with my sister. She's never been the… friendliest type."

"Hey." Asha smacked him on the arm. "Ignore him. He's an idiot."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," T'kan said, his voice light and teasing.

Asha rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you something, Phoebe."

"Uh, sure," Phoebe said, looking a little uneasy. "What's up?"

"The Weyrleaders and Kasa will be gone for a while, so Octavia has appointed me to be Weyrwoman in her stead. I'm going to need some help keeping the Weyr together, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind lending me a hand?"

The redhead's eyes widened in surprise. "Me? You want me to help? Why not someone else?"

"Your parents are merchants, so you have more experience in management than most people," Asha said. "Besides, you're my friend. I know I can trust you."

"With Lorelei around, you'll need that trust," T'kan stated grimly.

She looked up at her brother in surprise. "You know Lorelei?"

"She did transfer to Benden from Fort," T'kan said dryly. "We were weyrlings together. I'm just grateful Behemeth never flew Vanth. That would've been so troublesome. R'mel wasn't so lucky."

"R'mel?"

"He's our Weyrleader," he answered. "I think he's the half-brother of your Headwoman? But his bronze, Sezelth, is probably the second largest in the world right now, only smaller than Romanoth. He's kind of an ass, to be perfectly honest, but R'mel isn't too bad. He's done Fort pretty well. I admire the man."

He was Remma's half-brother? That was… interesting. She wondered how that happened. Though, dragonriders did seem to get around a lot, so she wasn't that surprised. That also explained why Fort was so willing to help Benden; Fort's Weyrleader was their Weyrleader's uncle.

"But moving back onto Lorelei, she was almost our Senior Weyrwoman," T'kan said, crossing his arms over his chest. The year our senior queen passed away, we had two Junior Weyrwomen—Lorelei and Altea. Thankfully, Altea's Zaniath rose to mate before Vanth did, making Altea our new Senior Weyrwoman. Sezelth did not catch her at that time, as R'mel was away on business. Shortly after, Vanth rose to mate and Sezelth did fly her, but after that clutch successfully hatched, Lorelei…" He winced. "She was teaching the older weyrlings how to go between and gave them bad directions. None of them survived. The Weyrleader and Council voted to send her and Vanth away as punishment, and Benden agreed to take her."

Asha's eyes widened. All right, she really had no expected to hear that.

"Do you think she… did it on purpose?"

"I wouldn't put it past her," T'kan said grimly. "She was very angry about not winning Senior Weyrwoman. Zaniath and Vanth almost got into a fight because of the tension between their riders. It was decided it would be best to separate them."

Phoebe grimaced. "Great. And now we don't have Octavia to keep her in line."

"That's why I said you'll need that trust." His gaze flickered to his sister. "And that's also why you need to be careful, Asha. You may have three years still, but I'm positive that Lorelei will do anything to secure the Senior Weyrwoman position this time."

Asha almost shuddered. She could tell her brother was serious. Lorelei… was trouble. In more ways than one. They would need to be careful.

"I know you're not gonna like me saying this, but… I think you should ask Kirana to help you as well."

She snapped to attention, tensing. "What? Why?"

T'kan sighed. "I know what Kirana did to you was horrible. But she's tough as nails. She can and will protect you, Asha. She cares for you more than you realize… in her own way. I know she wouldn't let anything happen to you."

T'kan was right. She hated the idea.

"That's… actually not a bad idea," Phoebe said, drawing their attention to her. "I don't know Kirana nearly as well as you two, but… Y'gan did speak highly of her."

Ugh. Her too?

 _I think it's a good idea._  Kalianth's voice caught her off guard, a soft humming of music.  _Quiyeth believes Kirana is a good person. A dragon's intuition is never wrong._

Asha fought the urge to sigh. "All right, I'll… talk to her."

"Let me know when you need me," Phoebe said. "I still want to take Azurith swimming, at least."

She nodded. "I will. Have fun."

Phoebe actually smiled. "We will. See you later."

They left, heading down the tunnel and out of sight. Asha fought the urge to sigh, instead turning to glower at her brother.

"I hope you're happy," she grumbled. "Let's go find Kirana."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Kirana was further down in the weyrling caverns, in her own weyr. While Asha was hesitant to even peek in, T'kan strode right inside.

"Kirana! It's been forever!"

There was a low growl, followed by a hush. "...T'kan? What are  _you_  doing here?"

Asha forced herself to step inside to join her siblings. She knew she couldn't avoid this forever. She walked in just in time to see her brother laugh, putting his hands on his hips. Quiyeth stood next to her sister, about the same size as Kalianth. Kirana's hand rested on top of his head, probably to soothe him since T'kan had basically intruded.

"I volunteered to bring the transferring bronzerider here, just so I could finally see my two favorite sisters!"

"We're your only sisters," Asha said dryly, as she walked over to join them.

T'kan simply smiled. "Exactly! But you look well, Kirana. I almost didn't recognize you."

It was true. Kirana had changed a lot over these past two months. It was like Impressing Quiyeth had brought out all the parts of her she'd been suppressing. No longer did she dress extravagantly, but rather, practically, in tunics and trousers and boots. Today, her red-gold hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, keeping it out of the way.

"Enough small talk," Kirana said flatly. "What do you want? I know you didn't bring Asha here to make friendly."

T'kan chuckled. "Astute as always, sis. Asha has something to ask you."

Of course he would say that.

Asha fought the urge to sigh, as Kirana's gaze flickered to her. "What is it?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Octavia has temporarily appointed me as Senior Weyrwoman, while the Weyrleaders and Kasa are away at the negotiations in Benden Hold. I was wondering if you would be willing to lend me a hand."

Kirana remained silent, studying her sister with a scrutinizing gaze. Asha was not surprised. It had to be a shock; after all, Asha was willingly asking her for help. This never would have happened back on the farm, yet here they were. But whatever Kirana had been looking for in her sister's face, she must have found, because she relaxed her tense stance, looking down at her brown dragonet.

"What do you think, Quiyeth?" she asked. "Should we help?"

The young brown's eyes whirled blue-green as he looked up at his bonded. Kirana nodded to whatever he said, and returned her attention to them.

"Very well, I'll help you," Kirana said. "Someone has to deal with Lorelei for you."

"See? That wasn't so hard." T'kan nodded approvingly. "You two can get along."

Naturally, they both groaned and rolled their eyes at him. "Shut up, T'kan."

* * *

"Do you have any questions?"

Showing A'den around the Weyr was simple enough. J'lan had no problem with doing that. First stop had been their new weyr, so Chroneth could settle down and not be forced to amble around with them. Now they had returned to the weyr, after he had finished explaining A'den's situation to him. The younger bronzerider was awfully quiet—not that he could really talk himself—and that had made this whole tour and introduction a bit… awkward.

"Oh, uh, no, not really," A'den said hastily, only to hesitate. "Actually… I do. About… About Asha."

J'lan raised an eyebrow. "What about her?"

"Does she… have a weyrmate?" Almost immediately, his cheeks flushed. "I-I mean, it's all right if she does… I was just… wondering."

Of all the questions in the world to ask, of course it would be that one. Unfortunately, J'lan couldn't really blame him for being curious. He was a young, newly graduated bronzerider, who probably felt like he was on top of the world, in a brand new Weyr with new people and dragons, and in turn, fresh opportunities. Asha was a young weyrwoman, although still a weyrling, the first female he had met upon arrival. J'lan would admit that Asha was beautiful—and very much desirable among his fellow bronzeriders, as winning her heart could be their key to power. But he didn't care for that abuse of emotions. He didn't care for a lot of what the other bronzeriders had to say.

"No, she does not," he answered dryly. "But she is also a weyrling, so please keep that in mind."

A'den's eyes widened. "Oh, uh… I… I wasn't thinking of that. I was just curious."

J'lan gave a slight shrug. "It's none of my business. Do you have any other questions?"

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Erm, no, not really. Thank you for showing me around, J'lan."

"It was my pleasure. I hope you enjoy it here in Benden."

He excused himself then, parting ways with A'den. There was still much work to be done.

With that in mind, he made his way to the council room. He needed to go over the updated wing rosters to plot a method to defending the Weyr—in case they were attacked again. It was highly unlikely, thanks to Sugol's capture, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. The stakes were just too high.

J'lan had been going over the papers and the map of the Weyr for not even ten minutes when there was a light rapping on the door.

"Knock knock," C'zar joked, letting himself in. "You're still at it, huh?"

"I can't waste any time," he said, looking back down at the rosters. "We're weakened. If any other Hold holds the same sentiment as Bitra, now would be a good time to strike."

C'zar let out an exasperated sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets as he sauntered up to the table. "The only Holds close enough to even attack us without warning are our stalwart allies. You're being paranoid."

"We lost a lot, C'zar."

"I know." The brownrider shook his head. "You're missing the point. When was the last time you sat down?"

J'lan frowned. "...Breakfast."

C'zar gave him a flat look. "That's totally healthy and everything. You're going to run yourself ragged at this rate, J'lan. You're still recovering. You need to take a break every now and then."

J'lan sighed. "You… have a point."

"Of course I do." C'zar rounded the table, reaching up to clasp his friend on the shoulder. "You're tough, but not invincible. We all need you at your best right now. It's okay to rest." He gave J'lan's shoulder a squeeze. "C'mon, let's get lunch. It's about that time anyway."

"All right, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

C'zar flashed a grin, letting go. "That's the spirit! See, I knew you'd turn around."

J'lan rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, C'zar."

And so, the two friends left the council room, heading to the refectory for a much needed respite.


	9. A Small Victory

_Day 19, Month 6, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Asha had not expected it to happen the very next day.

Kalianth had insisted on accompanying her to the council room today. In turn, Remma had insisted they install a small couch for the young queen to lay on, so she wouldn't be stuck on the cold, hard rocky floor. And so Kalianth lounged on the couch, while Asha saw to the Weyr's business with the help of the Headwoman, Phoebe, and Kirana. She didn't mind it, really, and Kali's added company did lift her mood.

T'kan had left almost as soon as he came, but it had been nice to catch up with him, no matter how little time they had. Maybe someday, when Kalianth could go  _between_ , they would visit Fort to see T'kan and Behemeth in their natural habitat. It was something to look forward to.

But one thing Asha had not been looking forward to was Vanth rising to mate. And of course, it had to happen in the middle of lunch.

Kalianth had come down to the refectory with them, so Asha had taken the end of the table so the dragonet could sit beside her. She sat with Phoebe and V'rin across from her. Kali's head rested on her lap, the young dragon very much content.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to help much," V'rin was saying. "Like, I'm nowhere near suited to help run the Weyr, but still."

"Don't worry about it," Asha said gently. "We're managing fine on our own. Right, Phoebe?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, I would say so."

"It's… a learning experience," Asha admitted. "Octavia has to deal with a lot."

V'rin grimaced. "I can imagine." Something caught his attention, drawing his eyes away from the table. "...Hey, isn't that the new bronzerider who transferred here from Fort?"

Frowning, Asha followed his gaze. Indeed, there was A'den. He had just entered the refectory, and was looking around, obviously uncertain of where to go.

"Should we invite him over?" V'rin asked, looking back at his friends. "I mean, I feel bad… That was me a few months ago, before I met you guys."

Asha fought the urge to sigh. There was no way she could say no  _now_. That would be so heartless.

"Sure, why not."

But they didn't even have to say a word. As soon as A'den spotted their table, he made his way over.

"Um, hello," he greeted, still very much awkward. "Could I… sit here?"

V'rin flashed a grin. "Of course!"

A'den gave a tentative smile and took the seat next to Asha. "Thanks. I'm still getting used to being here."

"This is V'rin, rider of green Erith, and Phoebe, rider of blue Azurith," Asha introduced, gesturing to each friend respectively. "We're all weyrlings, from the same clutch."

"It's nice to meet you," he said. "I'm A'den, rider of bronze Chroneth, but… you probably already knew that. I didn't realize how fast news of my transfer spread."

"Well, it's a pretty big deal," V'rin said. "I've heard your bronze is  _huge_. Almost as big as Romanoth. So, like, the second largest bronze in all of Pern."

"Haha… You could say that." A'den smiled sheepishly. "Chroneth grew to be the largest in Fort, so I wouldn't be surprised. I haven't met Romanoth, though. He's… J'lan's dragon, right?"

Asha nodded. "Yes, he is. He's-"

Kalianth opened her eyes.  _Something is… strange._

Asha cut herself off. A'den jumped a little, signaling that the young queen had spoken to all of them. Phoebe and V'rin immediately looked to her, frowning. Kalianth shifted, raising her head and sitting up straight. Yellow began to whirl in with the green in her eyes, confusion radiating through their mindlink.

_The bronzes… are bloodying kills?_

Wait a second…

A'den cursed. Loudly. "N… Nobody told me there was going to be a  _mating flight_."

V'rin's eyes widened. "Shells, it must be Vanth, then."

"Obviously, considering the only other queen is right here," Asha said dryly, gesturing to a still very much confused Kalianth.

"So much for lunch," A'den muttered under his breath, before standing back up. "Sorry, I… have to go… be with Chroneth."

Before anyone could say a word, he was on his feet, heading out of the refectory, along with the other bronzeriders and any other weyrfolk who probably wanted to watch. Asha could hear it now—the dragons' excited cries, mixed with the violent sounds of hunting. She exchanged looks with her friends, only to be yanked back to Kali, whose eyes whirled red orange, anxious confusion bleeding through their bond.

_I do not like this,_  Kalianth said.  _I do not like this, Asha._

"Azurith is getting anxious," Phoebe said, standing up. "I need to go to him."

"Same with Erith," V'rin said, standing up. "They're just babies. They don't… understand this."

Asha nodded. Her friends headed off, hurrying to their weyrs to be with their dragons. She, too, stood up, reaching up to place her hand on Kalianth's neck, trying to send soothing emotions to the frightened queen. This was what Y'gan had talked about—how such unfamiliar emotions could distress a dragonet and send them  _between_. She needed to stay with Kalianth and keep her from panicking to that extreme. But first, they needed to get back to their weyr. That was the safest place.

She gently took Kalianth's head in both her hands, as the young dragon stood up with her rider. She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the queen's. She took a deep breath, sending more calming thoughts to Kalianth, to combat the alarmed anxiety pulsing through her.

_It will be okay, Kali. You'll be fine. I promise._

Kalianth's body seemed to relax, the fear subdued a little. Asha opened her eyes to see her bonded's eyes still red-orange, but with some blue flecks adding to the mix. A wave of relief rushed through her. It had worked. Thank goodness.

The refectory was mostly empty now, the cries of dragons growing louder. Asha released Kalianth's head, sliding her hand over to rest on the queen's shoulder. Together, they moved, heading out into the open Weyr Bowl, where they would have to pass by the lively scene to get to their weyr. Asha couldn't help but stop dead in her tracks, gasping at the sight before her.

Browns, blues, and greens sat perched along the ledges of the Weyr, flapping and prancing excitedly. The stock pens were a mess. Deer lay across the field, slaughtered and drained of blood. The bronzes were gathered, some still in the pens, sucking their kills dry, the others waiting with anticipation for the queen to rise. She noted that Romanoth was not among them, but Chroneth was. A crowd had gathered, most of the weyrfolk and non-bronzeriders standing further back, while the bronzeriders stood in a semicircle behind Lorelei.

And then there was the queen herself—Vanth, in all of her radiant glory. Asha couldn't help but stare.

Vanth was nothing like Serelath, who was small and lithe, built more for speed. No, Vanth was  _large_ , even for queen standards, with a sturdy, robust body. She was obviously built for endurance and, well…  _power_. She was thick with muscle, her wings as massive as sails. Her hide gleamed a deep shade of gold, deeper than Serelath's, darker than Kalianth's. And that hide was splattered with blood, as she gored another stag and began to drain its blood. Her eyes blazed red, pure rage radiating off of her in waves. As she finished off that deer, she moved onto another.

This… was what they had to do? Somehow, Vanth made it more terrifying.

"Asha!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin, whirling towards the voice, Kalianth tensing as she pulled her hand off the queen's shoulder. Asha immediately relaxed when she saw it was simply J'lan, surprisingly followed by Romanoth.

"Are you two all right?" he asked as they stopped in front of them.

"We're fine," she answered. "Kalianth is a bit stressed, but I'm getting her back to our weyr."

"Good." J'lan nodded in approval. "Romanoth, stay with them and make sure no one gives them any trouble. I must see to it than nothing gets out of hand among the weyrfolk."

Right as he was turning to go, Asha reached out to grab him by the wrist, stopping him. "Wait."

He glanced back. "...What?"

She hesitated. "Are  _you_ … all right?"

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he closed his eyes, giving an amused smile. "I'm fine, Asha. As I mentioned before, Romanoth respects my wishes. A dragon learns self-control as it matures, just as any human would. We are fine."

She released his wrist, right as the ground trembled. They all looked up to see Vanth take to the air, soaring higher and higher with each powerful pump of her wings. The bronzes launched themselves after her, blur by blur as they took to the air just as quickly. Vanth spun, her hide glinting brightly in the sunlight, before picking up more speed, leaving some of the bronzes in the dust.

"...I must go." J'lan sounded reluctant. "Take care of Kalianth."

Then he was gone, walking over to where the crowd awaited. Asha pulled her eyes away from the flight, returning her attention to her queen. She rested her hand on Kalianth's shoulder once more, sending more soothing thoughts to her to ease her rising anxiety. Asha felt… strange. It was probably an effect of the mating flight. Her bond with Kali neutralized many of the emotions that had flooded the Weyr, but like J'lan had said, a queen's empathy was much stronger than any green's.

_Let us go,_  Romanoth rumbled, his deep voice surprisingly soothing.  _I shall protect you, if needed._

That definitely put Kalianth at ease. More green mixed in her red orange eyes.

Asha nodded. And with that, they finally returned to their weyr.

* * *

Benden Weyr was quiet.

Several hours had passed since Vanth rose to mate, but most weyrfolk were still… not around. Only the weyrlings emerged from bunking down in their weyrs, their young dragons now calm and back to normal since the moment had passed. Asha did a headcount, and much to her relief, no one was missing. Good. That meant no dragon had gone  _between_  due to stress. Even Anais and Laia were safe and sound. Due to their youth, their dragonets hadn't been affected at all.

Thankfully, Remma, all of her women, the kitchen staff, and their beloved Weyrlingmaster were already back to work by the time the weyrlings dared to emerge. The cooks were busy, preparing for a feast to celebrate another successful mating flight. Y'gan quickly took over, telling the weyrlings to cool down at the lake and let their dragons take a swim. He even ordered Asha to go. "Interim Weyrwoman or not, you're still a kid. Go have some fun," he'd said, not taking no for an answer.

So here she was, sitting down at the shore with her friends, watching their dragons swim and play in the water. Kalianth was much happier now, splashing around with Azurith and Erith. Eventually, Phoebe got up to take Anais and Laia into the water, because they were too afraid to go in by themselves. V'rin ended up joining them, but she decided to stay put.

However, Asha was a bit surprised when Quiyeth waded over to join the young dragons. She was even more surprised when Kirana sat down next to her.

"That was… something else." Kirana shifted to get more comfortable, moving her legs to the side. "Did you see Vanth?"

Asha nodded. "Yes. She's…"

"A beast," Kirana finished for her. "I've heard Vanth is wretched, but I never thought she'd actually look the part. She's beautiful—in the dangerous animal sort of way. A true queen."

Asha stiffened. "Serelath is prettier, in my opinion."

"She is," Kirana agreed. "But I don't think Serelath could stand up to Vanth in a fight. She's not made for that. Her strengths lie elsewhere."

Asha eyed her sister suspiciously. "What are you trying to say?"

Kirana turned her head to look at her, blue-grey eyes sharp. "I'm saying… we need to be more careful. Until now, I've never seen Vanth. A woman who just lays around all day, sleeping around with men, couldn't possibly forge a bond with a dragon like Vanth."

Chills ran down her spine. As much as she hated to admit it… Kirana had a point. A very good point. A dragon and its rider complimented each other. They made up for each other's weaknesses. But surely a warrior queen like Vanth wouldn't stand the lazy woman Lorelei appeared to be. No… that woman was hiding something. She had to be.

Asha remained silent for a moment. And then another. And another.

"...Kalianth is superior to Vanth."

An amused smile tugged on Kirana's lips for the shortest of seconds. "Oh, I agree. But her dam is the smallest gold in all of Pern, and her sire is a brown. How could she possibly best Vanth?"

Asha's gaze flickered to the young queen, where she frolicked with her dragon friends. Kalianth wasn't nearly as small as she had been before, but still was only the size of a bronze dragonet. Her bright gold hide glistened from the lake water, her eyes whirling blue-green as she splashed Azurith with the flick of her tail. Unfortunately, she was still quite scrawny. Her ribs began to show after she hit her growth spurt, as most of the food she consumed was going towards growth rather than weight. Her legs were still spindly, much too long for her. As much as she loved Kalianth, she had to admit the young queen did not look very impressive right now.

"She will." Asha's response came out short and curt, with the slightest hint of anger. "Kalianth will. I just know it."

At first, Kirana said nothing.

But then she let out a light laugh, a smile gracing her lips. "I know, Asha. Quiyeth and I believe in you both. I just wanted to see… just how much you believe in each other." She glanced down at her younger sister. "I'm sorry I'm so hard on you, Asha, but… I don't know any other way. All I know is that I will do anything in my power to help you—not just to make up for the past, but because I genuinely want to."

Asha looked up at her, dumbstruck. Out of everything she expected to hear out of Kirana's mouth, it most definitely had not been that.

"I always thought… you'd like Lorelei better."

Kirana scoffed. "We may have a certain hobby in common, but I never would stoop to her level. Quiyeth has reminded me of what matters the most, and… you're my sister. I will always choose you over anyone else." She smiled gently, yet sadly. "I know you probably don't feel the same way, but… that's all right."

For the first time in the past two months… Asha found herself actually able to believe Kirana. Maybe… her sister really had changed… for the better. Quiyeth may have been just what she needed. Regardless, the emotional level of this conversation was a bit too much for her to handle. So instead of getting all sappy in return, she gave Kirana a suspicious look.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

Kirana snorted. "Very funny. Glad to see  _you're_  back to normal."

Asha rolled her eyes, and then returned her attention to watching Kalianth and the other dragonlings. It truly was crazy, thinking about how it had only been two months since they became dragonriders. It was even crazier realizing they had sort of just made amends.

For a minute or so, the sisters sat in silence, listening to the squawks of dragons and firelizards, and the laughter of the weyrlings as they played in the water. Even Phoebe seemed to be having a good time, which made Asha happy. She always seemed so…  _gloomy_. But then, out of nowhere, Laia ran up behind V'rin and pushed him down. He crashed into the water in the shallow end, only to come up from the surface laughing.

"Mmmm…" Kirana pursed her lips thoughtfully, yet mischievousness twinkled in her eyes. "That's your friend, V'rin, yes?"

"Yes…?" Asha answered suspiciously.

"He's cute," she commented. "Very pretty, but cute."

"He is."

"I have a brown… he has a green," she mused. "Very convenient."

Asha eyed her sister. "...I thought you liked older men."

Kirana gave a shug. "I was only really in it for the money. I had to be successful  _somehow_." She turned towards her sister, eyes still twinkling. "Besides, aren't  _you_  the one who prefers older men? There was Rylan, and now you seem to be cozying up to J'lan."

Her cheeks flushed. "Rylan wasn't much older than me! And what does  _J'lan_  have to do with anything? It's not my fault we have to work together."

Kirana smirked. "Why are you getting so defensive,  _sister_?"

"Ugh…" Asha scrowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm going to punch you one of these days."

Kirana just smiled. "V'rin  _is_  a darling though, isn't he? The other green and blue weyrlings don't like him because he prefers women. Poor thing. I think I'll have to get to know him."

This time, Asha did groan out loud.

* * *

Eventually, everyone had to return to their weyrs to clean up for the celebration. Asha decided to change into a dress and free her hair from its usual braid. Kalianth was tired, so she chose to remain in their weyr after a quick feeding. She met up with her friends, and together they went to the refectory. Already, the delicious aromas of freshly cooked food wafted from the kitchen, along with the pleasant, cheerful music the Harpers played.

The tables had been pushed closer towards the walls, opening up space for the Harpers and their instruments, and of course dancing. Already, the makeshift ballroom was bustling with activity, with weyrfolk sitting at the tables, steaming hot food being brought to them, and of course, weyrfolk dancing on the makeshift dance floor. The onslaught to the senses was a bit much for Asha, as she had gotten used to the peace, and for a moment, all she could do was stand there, overwhelmed.

"Whoa," V'rin breathed, eyes wide. "I definitely wasn't expecting  _this_  for a party."

"Jays, they really went all out," Phoebe commented, sounding mildly impressed.

Her friends shifted in further, but Asha hesitated, glancing around for any familiar faces. She spotted Y'gan, standing off to the side, near the wall, speaking to a couple of older dragonriders. J'lan and C'zar were also near the walls, laughing with a few riders their age. Well,  _C'zar_  was laughing. And then there was Lorelei, the queenrider of the day. She sat on the table in front of the hearth, but at the farthest end, away from the fire. Yes, on top of the table, not in a chair, legs crossed, lounging—very much like a queen. To her right stood A'den, practically sitting on the table himself. There were other dragonriders standing around them, basically doting on Lorelei like she was a literal queen.

Asha's stomach rolled. This was sickening.

"Hey Asha, are you coming?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, looking over to where her friends stood, having paused to wait for her. She nodded to Phoebe, who had been the one to call to her, and hurried to catch up to them. V'rin's stomach growled at that exact moment, so they decided to get food first before doing anything else. Unfortunately, getting to one of the open tables required them walking past Lorelei and her entourage.

"Oh! Hold a moment, Asha, dearest!"

And unfortunately, Lorelei just  _had_  to open her mouth.

Asha paused, glancing over at the redhead with distaste. "What do you want?"

"Oh, don't be like that." Lorelei smiled slyly. "I know you haven't seen me at my best, dealing with Octavia and all, but I truly don't wish for us to be on bad terms. I simply wished to congratulate you—you survived your first queen mating flight! Young queens don't always make it without going  _between_ , as sad as it is. High Reaches had such a tragedy last turn. Their senior queen finally produced a gold egg, but when she rose to mate two years later, her poor daughter could not handle it and went  _between_. So tragic. It's such a relief such a thing did not happen to you."

Asha wasn't stupid. Every word that Lorelei spoke was filled to the brim with false happiness. From her fake smile to her sugared words, Lorelei was putting on an act of deceptive camaraderie, to fool anyone who saw, and to give Asha a subtle threat. But two could play at this game.

"Thank you," Asha said, putting on her own smile. "It was nothing I couldn't handle, but I'm glad everything turned out well for all the weyrlings." That wasn't a lie. "I'm glad your flight was successful. We need to keep the dragons of Pern alive and well." She hesitated, but forced herself to continue. "Who… flew Vanth, if I may ask?"

"My Chroneth," A'den spoke up, shifting to stand more proudly, a foolishly naive smile plastered over his face. "I've barely been a dragonrider proper, yet here we are, already contributing to the Weyr. Maybe someday I'll have a chance at being Weyrleader."

"Of course you too, darling," Lorelei purred, reaching out to stroke the back of his head. "Chroneth is most definitely worthy, as are you."

...Well. That officially took Chroneth off the Possible Future Mate For Kalianth List.

Asha felt bile rise up in her throat, she was so repulsed. It looked like Lorelei had already gotten her fingers wrapped around A'den. All it took was one mating flight… It was kind of concerning that she had that much… power. Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to  _see_  this?

"What do you think, Asha?" Lorelei inquired, turning her gaze onto the younger weyrwoman. "Do you think A'den would make a fine Weyrleader? Or do you have… someone else in mind?"

Asha narrowed her eyes. "I've just met him. I can't really make that judgement."

"Oh. That's a shame." Lorelei's smile grew devious. "I suppose you really are biased towards J'lan, aren't you?"

...Why did it keep on coming back to this?! She knew they were both being groomed to replace the current Weyrleaders, but it was getting ridiculous.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she said, really not wanting to get into that argument. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have dinner now."

And before anyone else could stop her, she walked away, heading to the table that her friends had sat down at to watch the ensuing conversation. With a sigh, she sat down across from Phoebe and V'rin. Dealing with Lorelei was truly exhausting. And Octavia had to do that on a daily basis. No wonder she seemed so grumpy all the time.

"You… don't look like you're going to enjoy the celebration," V'rin said after a moment of silence.

"This whole thing is kind of… awkward," Phoebe said slowly. "I mean… just  _what_  are we celebrating here? More dragons being born? Or… something else?"

"Well,  _I'm_  celebrating new dragons," V'rin said, very matter-of-fact. "We won't be the youngest weyrlings anymore. The new weyrlings will come to us for advice and stuff!"

Asha sighed. "It also means more mouths to feed…"  _And this entire situation began because of food shortages._

V'rin grimaced. "That's true…"

They grew quiet. In that lapse of conversation, food was brought over to them. Though her appetite was waning, Asha forced herself to eat, picking off slivers of the tender roast beef that was served. The fact that they weren't rationing food for the celebration had her concerned as well. If only Kalianth could fly… She would pay her parents a visit to see if they had any excess food to spare. She supposed she could send some riders, but it just… wouldn't be the same. She did miss her parents. It had been two months now since she had seen them. It felt like it'd been even longer than that.

"But…" V'rin slowly spoke up again. "I think we deserve this. We… lost a lot last sevenday. Shouldn't we take the chance to celebrate this small victory? We lost a lot of riders and dragons, but we'll be getting more once Vanth's clutch hatches. I think that's a win for us dragonriders, no matter how small."

Phoebe hesitated. "V'rin's right… I think all this work you've been doing is tiring you out, Asha."

She kept quiet, glancing down at her plate. They were right, of course. She kept herself busy to avoid thinking about that horrible day—to keep the images of death and destruction out of her mind. She would be lying if she said she didn't have nightmares about what happened. Watching Kalianth maul that man in her defense had been just as scarring for her as the twins.

"...Yes," she finally agreed.

Her two friends exchanged looks.

"Perhaps… Perhaps you should try to have fun tonight," Phoebe suggested, her tone gentle. "V'rin has a point. We should take this chance to celebrate while we can."

"I… don't really know how to do that."

It was true. Everyone else here was most definitely having a good time. Those who sat at the tables feasted on the delicious foods, chatting and joking with each other. Those who were on the makeshift ballroom floor danced to the harpers' music, smiling and laughing. Others were grouped off together near the walls, talking amongst themselves but obviously about pleasant, humorous topics. Firelizards darted about, playing in the air, their hides glistening in the firelight.

Asha had been to plenty of Gatherings in her life, but she had always stayed near her parents. She had never really…  _participated_. She never had friends to enjoy it with. She was truly at a loss.

"Well, uh…" V'rin scratched his chin. "Is there… I dunno… anybody you're interested in?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Phoebe let out an exasperated sigh. "He means, do you have a crush on anyone?"

Asha's eyes widened, cheeks flushing. "Wha… What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with  _everything_!" V'rin huffed dramatically. "You could ask your crush to dance! See, I suggested the same thing to Phoebe here, but she was all  _'what's the point'_  and  _'no one wants to get involved with weyrlings'_. You know what I have to say to that? It's not all about sex, Phoebe! You  _deserve_  love."

"I…" Phoebe pressed a hand to her forehead. "I  _know_  that. But we're like…  _kids_  to these people."

"There are  _plenty_  of other weyrlings, though," he said. "Okay, sure, there aren't too many female greenriders in our class. There's like… one other girl besides the actual children. Though… there aren't many bronzeriders either."

"M'rek's a deadglow," Asha muttered under her breath. "The others don't really stand out to me."

"...Okay, so  _maybe_  my idea is flawed." V'rin sighed. "I just want my friends to be happy, y'know? You two both just seem so… lonely."

"I'm not lonely," Asha said. "I have Kalianth."

"That's  _not_  the lonely I'm talking about here."

"What about you?" Phoebe asked. "You can't just leave yourself out here."

"Huh? Me?" His eyes widened, his cheeks tinting pink. "Oh, um… I, uh… There may be… a certain person… I'm kinda interested in…"

"So," Phoebe summarized, "both you and Asha have crushes."

"What? I do not!" Asha protested, her face burning even more.

"You both are blushing," the redhead stated flatly. "That's pretty incriminating, don't you think?"

"I'm not interested in anyone," Asha muttered. "I have too much to deal with right now."

"Shells, it's just a dance," V'rin said, his cheeks still very much pink. "I'm not telling you to like, marry them or anything. Dragonriders don't even get married."

"Then why don't  _you_  ask your crush to dance?"

"Maybe I will," V'rin huffed, before pushing back his chair and standing up. "Wish me luck."

Asha nor Phoebe got the chance to question even who this person was before their young greenrider friend was off. They watched him as he navigated his way around the tables, avoiding anyone who was carrying platters of food. He seemed to be making his way towards one of the tables farthest from theirs, where a group of young women—both weyrlings and candidates—sat. Asha noticed after a moment that her sister was among them. Well, that was no surprise. At least she had found some friends.

But it  _was_  a surprise when V'rin stopped beside Kirana's chair. Asha's mind immediately darted to what her sister had told her earlier that day.  _You have_ got _to be kidding me._

"Um, excuse me," V'rin said, all confidence having drained from his voice. "Kirana?"

All conversation amongst the girls ceased as their gazes all fell upon the young man. Shards… V'rin was either very brave or very foolish.

Kirana looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes? You're friends with my sister. V'rin, was it?"

"Uh, yeah." He gave a sheepish smile. "I was wondering… if maybe… you'd like to dance?"

Silence fell. A moment passed. And then another. The other girls began to whisper among themselves, snickering and giggling as they predicted the incoming rejection. But Kirana surprised them all.

She gave a friendly, almost flirtatious smile. "It would be my pleasure, V'rin."

_No_ —there was  _no_  way—this could  _not_  be happening.

V'rin flashed a big, happy grin. Kirana held out her hand, which he took, helping her out of her seat. Kirana's friends weren't the only ones watching in astonishment as V'rin and Kirana stepped out onto the dance floor, right as the harpers started a new, upbeat song. Before they began to dance, V'rin turned towards his friends, that big grin still plastered over his face, giving them a quick thumbs-up.

"I don't… I don't know what to say," Phoebe muttered.

Asha said nothing. She was too busy staring flabbergasted at her friend and her sister as they danced together. How? How was this happening already? Since when did V'rin have a crush on Kirana? What had she missed? She had only been super busy  _recently_. V'rin could do so much better than Kirana! Just… why? Why her? Of  _all_  the people…

"Ugh…" Asha made a face. "Why is it always Kirana…"

Phoebe frowned in confusion. "Huh?"

"Kirana always got the boys when we were kids. No one ever paid attention to me. Guess it still bothers me, after all these years." She let out a tired sigh. "I'm… going to get some fresh air. I'll be back."

* * *

The night air was cool, a refreshing change from how warm the refectory had become. Asha wandered further away, her boots sinking into the warm sands that were still cooling from the summer sunlight. She found herself at the water's edge, deciding to sit down to watch the moons' reflections on the gentle ripples gliding along the surface.

It was childish, really, to still be upset at Kirana for something she could not help. Kirana had always been the charismatic one—the one suited for leadership. Yet their dragons had said otherwise. She probably would never understand why Kalianth had picked her over the other queen candidates. There was what Y'gan said, but… it was so hard to believe.

"...Do you mind if I join you?"

Asha glanced up, slightly surprised to see J'lan. "No, I don't mind."

J'lan sat down next to her, crossing his legs. "I was surprised to see you out here. Are you not enjoying yourself?"

"It's… not that." She sighed, returning her gaze on the water. "It's just… my sister unintentionally reminded me of some things I rather forget."

"I see… Well… I may not be the best with advice, but if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Asha looked up, caught off guard. It was true that J'lan had been nicer to her recently, now that they had to work together. Whatever had made them clash before seemed to have been resolved. But still, she wasn't prepared for him to offer this. Perhaps this friendship wasn't as one sided as it seemed in the beginning. Maybe, if she was in a better mood, she would have smiled. She looked away again, unable to hold his gaze for too long.

"I just… have always felt inferior to Kirana," she said quietly. "She's always been… better than me. At everything. When we were kids, all the farmhands' sons had crushes on her. I was jealous of that. I was jealous of her looks and her brains and… basically everything. I thought that maybe, here in the Weyr, I would finally find the place I could shine… I  _do_  enjoy my work here, don't get me wrong—but I see my sister interacting with people and… they're genuinely friends. I… barely have any friends here. No one is interested in me as a person… all they see is my dragon's color and our power. First there was M'rek and the other bronze weyrlings in my class… then the other bronzeriders trying to forge alliances with me… and now A'den, but Lorelei's obviously gotten him wrapped around her finger. I just… wish I had a way with people that she does. Then maybe people would want to get to know me for me… not for the position I can give them…"

He was quiet for a moment. "That isn't entirely true, Asha. You do have friends here, as few as they may be. You have V'rin and Phoebe, and C'zar and myself. I know my mother is fond of you, as are J'lor and Octavia. You do have a place here. It will get better once Kalianth has had her maiden flight. That I can promise you."

"I know, but…" She sighed. "This is so stupid… I don't have time to be worried about this stuff when I have to care for a dragonet and run the Weyr at the same time."

J'lan raised an eyebrow. "Worry about what?"

She looked away, cheeks flushing. "Like I said… it's stupid."

"I highly doubt that."

"I just…" She looked down at the moonlit water. "I'm… jealous. That Kirana may have found a potential partner in V'rin."

There was a lengthy pause. "You… have feelings for V'rin?"

"What?" She jerked upright, looking at him incredulously. "No! I do not… like V'rin in that way. He's a good friend, and I want to be happy for him, but it's… my  _sister_ … finding something that I've never had. It's a stupid thing to be jealous of. I should be happy for both of them, right?"

"...I understand." J'lan looked away, out at the water before them. "I… have similar feelings towards my brother. It is… difficult having a sibling who is so talented, they seem perfect at times."

Asha's eyes widened. "You're… jealous of J'lor? I… never would have guessed…"

"I've always hid it well," he said quietly. "When we were boys, I… was shy. Timid, even. I preferred to help my mother out over my father. The larger dragons intimidated me. Ironically, Jormelaith was only slightly smaller than Romanoth is today. I preferred reading over getting into mischief with the other weyrbrats. I was bullied a lot. J'lor was my only friend. I wished I could be strong like him. He always looked out for me, dealing with anyone who mistreated me. J'roy told him he shouldn't baby me so much—that I'd never learn how to fend for myself if he was always there to save me."

_Oh…_  This… really wasn't what she expected. J'lan, shy? While he wasn't the most talkative person, the thought of him being timid was… difficult to grasp.

"I've always admired my brother, but when weyrfolk constantly praised him, but always critiqued me, it was hard to feel good about myself. I wanted to be just like J'lor—then maybe I would be treated with respect." He let out a tired sigh. "Unfortunately, I was too scared to do anything about it. I felt like I had already let everyone down… so why even bother? What really destroyed me… was how no one believed I could Impress a dragon. Anyone who did believe only saw me with a blue or green. They didn't see me compatible with a brown, much less a bronze. Of course, these people also believed J'lor would Impress a bronze. I wanted to prove myself worthy, but… nothing I could do was good enough. I wasn't  _J'lor._ "

Asha found herself at a loss. Who knew that they would have  _sibling issues_  in common?

"When J'roy died… I was only twelve. When Keylith's final clutch hatched, I snuck out onto the Hatching Grounds, despite not being a candidate." A tired, but wry smile tugged on his lips. "I will never forget how surprised everyone looked when I Impressed Romanoth."

"I… I'm so sorry, J'lan," she said softly. "Do you still feel jealous towards J'lor, even after all these years?"

"Yes." He let out a sigh. "But it's different now.  _Much_  different. Now everyone expects me to be like J'lor—to be capable of serving as Weyrleader. I'm not so sure if I'm suited for the task."

Asha frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"As you've probably noticed… I am not very good at dealing with people." He glanced down at his hands. "I have been told I'm too… logical. What you said to me the other day… is all true. You made me realize what I've been doing wrong—why I'll never be the Weyrleader everyone expects me to be."

"J'lan…" She faltered for a moment, wondering what she could say to make up for her careless words, even if they had been true, before finally reaching out and placing her hand over his. "You don't have to be your brother. You can be  _you_. You're a good person, whether you believe it or not. If you were truly awful, you wouldn't have gone after me that day. You and Romanoth wouldn't have saved so many lives… You two were the heroes that day, not me and Kali, or J'lor and Rionneleth. It was the two of you—J'lan and Romanoth."

He looked up at her, and she gave him a warm, reassuring smile. He took her hand into his, catching her by surprise, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. A moment passed, with neither of them saying a word, but that was all right. Asha was sure he had understood what she meant.

"...I apologize for making this about me," J'lan muttered. "You're having problems of your own, and I derailed the conversation."

"I don't mind," Asha said softly, looking up at Belior and Timor. "Besides… I think I found what I was looking for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading! I have a couple of announcements to make.
> 
> First of all, the full story line is officially going to be split into two different stories! DT is the first part, and the second/sequel will be called Dragon's Revolution. DR will feature the next generation- the children of the current cast. I just realized it would be much easier to spread out over a span of decades, rather than cramming everything I have planned into the 3-5 years that DT is (currently) going to span.
> 
> So, as you can probably guess, this is going to be a long ride. But I'm really looking forward to writing the full story!
> 
> But that's all for now. Again, thank you for reading!


	10. Cause and Effect

_Day 17, Month 7, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

About a month had passed since the Weyrleaders had left for the grand council. They had recently received word that some progress had been made, but they weren't completely in agreement yet. It wasn't the news Asha had been hoping for, but at least it was news. It was the most they had heard in a while. She would take what she could get.

The Weyr settled back into its normal routine—as normal as it could get after what happened. Thankfully, the food shortage had been solved, as Kirana had helped forge trade agreements with towns and villages outside of the Holds. All it had taken was a day of going over ideas for how to solve the problem. Asha was grateful for her sister's help. They were getting along much better.

Another month seemed to be just what Benden needed. A clutch on the sands, food in everyone's bellies, healthy dragonets, eased tensions—everyone was a lot happier. The infirmary was mostly cleared out now, and any injured dragons were back in the air. Benden was recovering.

Time had also been good to Kalianth. She was beginning to fill out, having finally surpassed the bronze weyrlings in size. Her hide had itched even worse the first couple of sevendays and she needed more oiling than usual, but it had settled down as the days went by. Weyrling lessons had also officially started back up, with Remma insisting on covering for Asha so she and Kalianth could attend. The young queen grew stronger and stronger, her muscles strengthening in preparation for her first flights in two months.

Unfortunately, the peace would be short lived.

"So… we've only managed to find five more candidates for the hatching."

C'zar had come to the council room to report. He and his wing, as he was temporarily standing in as Wingleader for J'lan, as he was Wingsecond, had been out searching for candidates upon J'lan's request, among others. There was no queen egg this time, which was unsurprising, but there was still a fairly large amount of eggs. And they couldn't afford a single dragonet going  _between_.

J'lan frowned from where he stood beside the war table. "Only five?"

The brownrider nodded. "Yeah. The holders are even less keen about sending off their children to be candidates with Lord Sugol's fate still not sealed."

Asha sighed, folding her arms over her chest as she stood behind the war table. "Of course they are… What is our total number of candidates, then?"

C'zar winced. "Twenty-five."

...There were thirty-five eggs.

"We can keep looking," C'zar added, noticing Asha's visible grimace. "The Search dragons have been finding people. They just… don't want to volunteer. We may have to start taking candidates not chosen by dragons. I don't think we'll be as fortunate as last time."

"It was blatant with the last clutch," J'lan said dryly. "Even Romanoth could sense the potential at your parents' farm, Asha. Sometimes this just… happens."

"We can speak with more of the weyrbrats, too," C'zar said. "There may be a few more who are old enough to be candidates."

"Please do," Asha sighed. "I don't want any of the hatchlings to die."

"Neither do we," J'lan said gently, looking over at her. "But like I said, sometimes it just… happens. It's why we need large clutches. This is probably Vanth's smallest."

"Well, A'den's still a pretty new dragonrider," C'zar said with a light laugh. "He probably had no idea what he was doing and didn't control Chroneth enough. I mean, we were all that inexperienced once. The fact that Vanth still produced a more than decent clutch is impressive, with how that mating flight went. Chroneth definitely will be a serious contender for Kalianth's maiden flight."

J'lan's gaze flickered down to the table. "...Yes, Romanoth is not too pleased about that."

C'zar raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Romanoth, eh?"

J'lan gave him a withering look. "Yes,  _Romanoth_. He has grown rather fond of Kalianth."

Asha let out an exasperated sigh. "Guys, you are aware that Kali isn't even three months old yet?"

"We're  _well_  aware," J'lan said, still giving his friend a dry look. "Back on the topic of hatchlings—we'll have a lot of young dragons soon. Will we have enough to feed them all?"

"We should," Asha answered. "Our trade deal with the outholders is simple—they give us food, and in return, our tanners will turn any hide they send with the goods into leather and send it back to them. Essentially, they are paying us to make them leather, just in food, rather than money."

"I still barely can believe Kirana came up with that," C'zar mused. "It's so simple, but so clever."

Asha gave a shrug. "My sister knows how to run a business. She's good at making deals. I can work the books just fine, but our parents always sent her to do the trading. She's…" Her gaze fell. "...good with people."  _Unlike me._

_No._  Kalianth's voice sounded in her head, chiding her.  _You are getting better. The riders are beginning to turn to you with their problems, just like they did with Mother's own._

_...I suppose you're right._

"Well, I'm glad she came up with that plan," C'zar said. "Things are already improving."

"Indeed," J'lan agreed. "Have you decided to send a report to the Weyrleaders, or…?"

"If I can find a firelizard who can deliver the message," Asha responded.

C'zar cracked a grin. "Leave it to me. I'll find one."

She managed a smile. "Thank you, C'zar."

"No problem, Weyrwoman," the brownrider chuckled, playfully giving a salute. "We have a million flits flying around these days. There's bound to be one that's free. I'll be back in a jiffy."

With that, C'zar strode out of the room, leaving the two interim Weyrleaders alone. For a moment, they stood in silence, now that their friend was gone. But then J'lan spoke, ending the quiet.

"...There is one more thing."

Asha looked up at him, unsurprised. "What is it?"

"As you know, I have been enforcing drills to protect the Weyr, in case of another attack," J'lan stated solemnly. "I also conducted a survey to see how many of our riders are capable in combat. Unfortunately, the number is lower than I expected. Because the times have been so peaceful, many people haven't found the need to learn how to defend themselves. I have decided to begin combat training for everyone, including the weyrlings. I rather be safe than sorry."

Honestly? Asha was not surprised. If she hadn't been so busy keeping the Weyr running, she would have considered asking J'lan or C'zar to teach her swordsmanship. She did not want to feel powerless again, not like during the attack. It was an excellent idea. They all needed to be prepared for the worst.

Asha nodded. "I think that's a good idea. When will we start?"

"Tomorrow, if everything goes according to plan," he answered. "I trust most of our neighbors, but we cannot afford more loss. We're lucky enough to have another clutch so soon after the attack."

"Agreed…" She glanced down at the map. "Perhaps I'll finally be able to enjoy a hatching this time."

"Yours had… unusual circumstances," J'lan said with a slight grimace. "We always have a feast after the hatching. You'll be able to attend this time."

She looked back up at him. "More celebrations? I suppose we could use some more fun."

"I certainly know a few riders who won't complain about it," J'lan said wryly.

Asha gave a small smile. "So do I. We do deserve some happiness."

If there was one thing she could easily agree on, it was that Benden Weyr deserved all these celebrations. Rebuilding was slow, but with high morale, it wasn't so bad.

* * *

_Day 18, Month 7, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

The next day, just as J'lan said, combat lessons began.

"You'll be starting off with practice swords," Y'gan said, hands clasped together behind his back, Nerenth crouched like a cat behind him. "It's the safest way to learn without anybody getting hurt worse than some bruises. And Jiana here has volunteered to assist me today."

He gestured to the young girl standing next to him. She looked about ten years old, standing quite tall for her age. She was kinda scrawny, her sleeveless tunic needing to be bound around the waist with a belt so she wouldn't drown in the cloth. She had wavy black hair that fell down to her shoulders, a light complexion, and striking amber eyes. A gold firelizard was perched on her shoulder. She gave a little wave to the weyrlings.

_Wait a second…_  Asha's eyes widened.  _She looks a lot like J'lor._

_She does,_  Kalianth mused.  _I wonder if she is one of Mother's own's children._

_I've been here for about three months and I haven't met any of Octavia and J'lor's children… That's kind of weird, don't you think?_

_Mother has told me the weyrbrats are raised by weyrfolk other than their parents,_  Kalianth said.  _I do not think it is so strange._

_...Good point._

"Jiana, please hand out the practice swords to everyone," Y'gan said to the little girl.

She nodded, and scurried over to the rack of wooden swords. She gathered a bunch into her arms, and headed over to the end of the line, as they had lined up in front of Y'gan in the training field that was normally used for older weyrlings. She handed each of them a sword. Some of the weyrlings thanked her, others did not. M'rek and his cronies noticeably did not. When she ran out of swords, she returned to the rack for more. Eventually, she reached the end of the line, where Asha, Kalianth, and their friends stood.

"Thanks!" V'rin said as she handed him a wooden sword.

"Thank you," Phoebe said when she received her sword.

Finally, the child reached Asha. She seemed to hesitate, before handing her the last wooden sword.

"Thank you, Jiana," Asha said, trying to give her a friendly smile. "And thank you for helping out Y'gan. I'm sure he appreciates it."

Jiana's eyes widened, before she smiled sheepishly. "It's not a big deal or anything… I'm happy to help. But, um… you're welcome, Weyrwoman."

She backed up, before turning away to return to stand by Y'gan.

"All right, weyrlings," Y'gan said, looking at each of them. "You're the first class of dragonriders to have combat training added to your regimen. All your seniors have to set time aside for their training, even with their busy schedules. You're also lucky that your Weyrlingmaster already knows how to fight."

V'rin's eyes widened. "Jays… Y'gan's really full of surprises."

"However, I want to be very clear. This training is for  _self-defense_  only. I don't want to hear about dragonriders going out to terrorize holders or outholders." His gaze immediately flickered to M'rek, who stiffened. "So if any of you have been thinking of that, erase that from your minds. We're here to defend our Weyr, not take over the planet."

Unfortunately, a certain bronze weyrling had to raise his hand.

Y'gan gave him a withering look. " _Yes_ , M'rek?"

"Do you think we could overtake a Hold if we wanted to, though?"

...Ugh. Not this again.

Y'gan sighed. "We have dragons. Even with their cannons, we have the upperhand. So yes, I believe we could  _easily_  conquer a Hold. But we have no need to. Such violence is unnecessary. We have always been here to protect Pern, not destroy it."

Jiana bristled, scowling. "My great great great grandparents didn't end Thread just for you to destroy Pern another way."

Y'gan raised his hand. "Peace, Jiana. M'rek was merely asking a hypothetical question. Isn't that right, M'rek?"

"Of course," M'rek said dryly. "I was merely curious."

_Sure you are…_  Asha narrowed her eyes.  _We need to keep our eyes on M'rek and Galarth._

_Agreed._  Kalianth's eyes whirled orange.  _I have never liked them. Galarth is so arrogant._

She fought the urge to sigh.  _Why am I not surprised?_

Y'gan cleared his throat. "Moving on… we'll begin with the anatomy of a longsword…"

* * *

"Shards, I'm so sore," V'rin whined, flopping down on the couch. "Why'd you have to wallop me so hard, Phoebe? What did I ever do to you?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "You're being a big baby. I didn't hit you  _that_  hard."

The friends had gathered in the weyrwoman's weyr, to relax after their excruciating first day of combat training. Asha had sent for some ice packs for V'rin, because he did end up having the most bruising out of the three of them. She sat down next to Phoebe, while the dragonets gathered on Kalianth's couch in the main chamber.

"It could be worse," Asha said. "We could have used  _real_  swords."

V'rin made a face. "I'd be  _dead_  if we did. Phoebe would've  _murdered_  me."

She rolled her eyes again. "Oh, stop being such a drama queen!"

He shifted on the couch across from them, so he was leaning in a more relaxed position. "What did you think about Jiana, though? I was surprised Y'gan was teaching her too."

Phoebe gave a shrug. "I overheard some gossiping. She's the Weyrleaders' eldest daughter, and is apparently almost as hotheaded as our Weyrleader."

"Jeez…" V'rin shook his head. "Sometimes, I really wonder how J'roy and J'lan are related."

"You're not the only one," Asha muttered under her breath. "It's too bad that she's so young. She could've been a candidate for Vanth's clutch."

Phoebe frowned. "Right… we're still low on candidates, aren't we?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed.

V'rin sat up straight. "I wish I knew how to help with that…"

Asha glanced down at her hands. "There may be no helping it this time… There isn't a gold egg to attract the masses."

They grew quiet. It really was saddening, thinking that so many dragonets would die if they did not find more candidates. But their riders were venturing all over Pern, searching for volunteer. The only area they did not visit was the South.

The South… the biggest mystery of Pern. Oh, she couldn't wait until Kali could fly and go  _between_. She wanted answers. Just  _what_  was down there?

"At least all the eggs of our clutch hatched and found partners," Phoebe said quietly, after a moment had passed.

This  _wa_ s true.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Asha said.

Phoebe and V'rin nodded in agreement.

* * *

_Day 20, Month 7, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Asha sat on the floor of her weyr, rubbing oil into Kalianth's belly. The young queen was flaking more than usual today. Kalianth's eyes gleamed blue-green with contentment, humming happily as more and more oil was applied to her cracking hide. It was messy work, but Kalianth's happiness always made it worthwhile. Besides, Asha was used to getting dirty; working on a farm did not leave you clean. She always rolled her eyes at anyone who complained.

_Right there,_  Kalianth hummed, leaning more onto her side.  _That spot… perfect._

Asha dipped her rag into the can of oil and began to rub that particular spot underneath where her leg connected to her shoulder. She smoothed over the cracks in her hide, which must have just popped up overnight. Unsurprising, considering it looked like Kalianth had gained inches since yesterday. The increase in her growth rate was absolutely astounding.

"Is that better?"

_Yes! Much better._  She shifted back up.  _I am glad I am larger than my brothers now, but this itching is such an nuisance._

Asha smiled wryly, reaching up to dab a spot she missed under Kalianth's eye. "It will get better… eventually. Once you're full grown."

Kalianth huffed.  _That is so far away. It's as annoying as waiting to fly. I want to see what you have seen so badly, Asha. I hate being trapped in the Weyr._

"Soon, Kali." She lowered the cloth. "In two months you'll be flying on your own, and then after one more month, you'll be strong enough to carry me."

The young queen shook her head.  _I feel strong enough now. But we must wait for the little ones. It would not be fair to fly when my blue brothers and green sisters are still too small. I just have been feeling… restless. That is the word you use, yes?_

"I do not blame you," she sighed. "I've always wanted to see the world… That's why I left home in the first place. But now I have responsibility and… everything else I didn't want."

Kalianth rumbled softly.  _We must be patient… Our time will come, soon. I can feel it, Asha._

Asha smiled softly. "You always know how to cheer me up."

She hummed, pleased.  _Naturally._

Asha returned to oiling, letting herself enjoy the peaceful moment. As soon as she was done, she'd have to get to work. As much as she didn't mind her duties as interim Weyrwoman, it still was difficult to juggle as a weyrling. It was only worse now that they had more training added to their lessons. She knew it was for the safety of the Weyr, but it tired her out even more than their regular physical training.

Suddenly, Kalianth's head jerked up. Asha looked up at her, immediately concerned. But the young queen simply let out a soft hum, her eyes becoming bluer. Indeed, humming had begun to resonate through the entire Weyr.

_The eggs are hatching. We must go watch!_

Asha quickly touched up the last spot on Kalianth she had left to oil, closed the can, and draped the cloth over it. They stood up together, Asha wiping her hands off on her trousers. They hurried out of their weyr, pausing briefly to see the candidates in white already beginning to wander out onto the sands of the Hatching Ground. Firelizards flitted everywhere eagerly, like bees, as more and more dragons emerged from their weyrs to watch, the humming growing louder and louder.

"We have to meet with J'lan and Romanoth," Asha said, figuring as they were the interim Weyrleaders, they should be overseeing the hatching.

They followed the path, heading down into the Bowl. She looked around, hoping to spot Romanoth. It would be difficult to miss the largest dragon in the Weyr. After a moment, she saw him, perched on the ledge overlooking the Weyr Bowl, humming deeply. Ah, that made since. It would be easier for him to stay there. Eventually, the same would apply to Kalianth, which was a sad thought. Right now, she was about the size of a draft horse.

Deciding to simply head to the stands, Asha made her way to the Hatching Ground, Kalianth at her heels. Along the way, she did find J'lan, who brought them over to the Weyrleaders' box in the stands. Thankfully, there was enough room for the young queen. They sat down, Kalianth staying beside her rider, and began the wait.

"It looks like they managed to find a few more candidates," J'lan mused.

Indeed, the number of white-clad candidates appeared to be slightly higher than the number they had been given a few days ago. Unfortunately, most of them were children.

"That's a relief," Asha sighed. "It's still not an ideal number, but… better than what we had before."

"There could be stands impressions as well," J'lan said, looking over at her. "Sometimes dragonets will find their match in the stands, watching. It's rare, but it happens."

"Well, I hope it happens today."

A few more minutes passed, as all of the candidates began to spread out among the eggs. Vanth remained where she was, curled up on the warm sands, but keeping an eye on the variety of humans around her. The dragons continued to hum, growing even louder. And then, finally, one of the eggs began to shake. A hush settled upon the weyr, as everyone's attention was drawn to that egg. Some of the candidates stepped closer to it, while others backed away.

_The little one is frazzled,_  Kalianth noted.  _Was I like this?_

_I don't know. I couldn't hear you yet._

A large crack shot through the nondescript shell. More and more fractures appeared, tiny lines streaking through the eggshell. And finally, the dragon burst out of the hell, a tumbling mess of wings and limbs as its momentum carried it forward, until it collapsed into a heap on the sand.

Silence fell. Even the dragons stopped humming.

The dragonet… was  _black_.

Its hide rippled obsidian in the summer sunlight, as the hatchling gathered itself. It lost its balance again, stumbling forward, until it finally stood up. The dragonet was fairly large, only slightly smaller than a bronze hatchling. It looked around, as everyone stared at it in shock.

Asha glanced over at J'lan, who was just as speechless as her. From her lessons, she knew most mutations did not survive, due to the bioengineering to ensure that only the strong would survive. Yet here this little dragon stood, an obvious mutation, clearly healthy enough to escape its egg. Even Ruth, the only white dragon to exist, had needed help escaping his shell.

The black dragonet let out an angry squawk, eyes whirling red. A candidate ventured a little too close, and the hatchling snapped at him, barely missing his arm. The other candidates quickly backed away, trying to get as far away from the ornery dragon as possible.

At this rate, it was going to  _die_.

_He is upset,_  Kalianth said, eyes turning yellow.  _Why will no one give him a chance?_

But then there was a shout. Looking towards the sound, Asha saw someone jump down from the stands. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Jiana. The candidates scattered even more, a couple telling her to get away, but she ignored them. She went up to the black dragonet, holding her hand out towards him. He hesitated, taking a few steps back, his eyes a bright mix of red, yellow, and orange. But then he reached out, sniffing at her hand.

"It's okay," Jiana said. "Nobody is gonna hurt you. I promise."

This seemed to satisfy the hatchling. His eyes changed yet again, whirling the beautiful rainbow of Impression. Gasps resonated throughout the entire Weyr. Jiana dropped down to her knees, throwing her arms around the black dragonet's neck, hugging him tightly.

All color had drained from J'lan's face. "...J'lor is going to murder me."

...Well, that confirmed that Jiana was J'lor and Octavia's daughter.

Another egg began to shudder, drawing attention away from Jiana and her abnormal dragon. Asha looked over at J'lan, hesitating for a moment.

"What should we do?"

"We need to get them out of there," he said, standing up. "And I need to ask Jiana just what the  _hell_  she was thinking."

* * *

"Jiana, what in Faranth's name were you  _thinking_?" J'lan demanded, giving the child a stern look. "You could have been maimed—or  _worse_."

They stood in the weyrling caverns, where Jiana and her young partner had been moved to their new weyr. Jiana sat down on the dragon's couch, next to him, gently stroking the back of his neck, as he lay curled up next to her, eyes darting back and forth suspiciously to whoever was talking.

"You're one to talk," Jiana huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "Didn't you run out onto the sands for Romanoth too?"

"That's… besides the point." J'lan pressed a hand to his forehead. "You are  _underage_. You're ten years old—too young to be a candidate for  _any_  color."

"Ciarth needed me," she retorted, glowering. "He would've died without me. I couldn't let that happen."

"Relax, J'lan..." Asha said quietly, stepping up to place a hand on his shoulder. "She didn't get hurt… and both of them are safe and sound now. Everything worked out all right."

He glanced down at her. For a moment, their eyes met. J'lan sighed heavily, but nodded, letting himself relax, his shoulders slumping with fatigue. He reached up to run a hand through his hair, as she let go.

"I just don't know how I'm going to explain this to J'lor."

Asha frowned. "I thought dragonriders aren't particularly close to their children."

"It depends," J'lan said. "Since we no longer fight Thread, some riders are more involved in their children's lives. They're still raised by surrogate parents because we're so busy, but a lot of parents pay more attention these days. Octavia came from a noble family, so she always has been highly involved. It just rubbed off on J'lor after a while. And me as well, as their uncle."

"Dad won't be angry," Jiana insisted, looking up at them. "He'll be  _proud_  of me. Just you wait and see."

J'lan sighed. "If not J'lor, then Octavia will surely kill me."

"She will  _not_ ," Asha assured him. "I won't let her."

"...Thanks. I guess." He shook his head. "I'll have to write them a message and send it via firelizard… Shards. I don't know how they'll even take a  _black_  dragon. This has never happened before."

"Ciarth is fine just the way he is," Jiana huffed. "He  _is_  hungry, though."

"I'll send for some food," Asha said. "And-"

A gold firelizard darted into the cave, carrying a missive. It was Octavia's. Asha cut herself off as the tiny queen handed the piece of paper to her. J'lan and Jiana watched as she unfolded the note to read it.

_Asha,_

_We've finally come to a resolution. Sugol will be stripped of his titles and his Hold will be given to his next of kin. They will also have to pay reparations for all the repairs we must make to the Weyr due to the attack. I'm not entirely sure if this means our issue with Bitra will be completely resolved, but it is better than nothing. J'lor wanted more punishment, but not many Lord Holders agreed with him. But this means we will be home soon. I am honestly relieved to be able to return to Benden. Soon, you'll be able to be a regular weyrling again. I truly am sorry for forcing this on you when you have not been with us for very long. It will be over soon, at least._

_Until we return,_

_Octavia_

Asha looked up at J'lan. "The decision has been made. J'lor and Octavia are returning."

Jiana's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"...Great, I have to deal with this sooner rather than later," the bronzerider sighed wearily.

Jiana glowered at him. "That's  _all_ you care about, Uncle J'lan?"

"I don't think you're aware of how terrifying your mother can be."


	11. New Heights

_Day 20, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

The next few months went by almost in a blur. With the return of the Weyrleaders, Asha could go back to her weyrling training full time—which was honestly such a relief. By her Kalianth's four month mark, her growth spurt had slowed down a bit, allowing her bronze brothers to catch up again. Regardless, Asha was content. Now that everything had settled down, she finally felt like she could  _breathe_.

J'lor and Octavia had not been pleased in the slightest when they discovered their daughter's Impression—to a  _mutation_ , no less. Luckily for J'lan, they did not blame him for her foolhardy actions. Jiana and Ciarth were placed with the new weyrlings, as few as they were, but forbidden from beginning their training until Jiana turned twelve. They were to be heavily monitored, to find out just what Ciarth would be like. The new color also was named— _adamant_ , for the hatchling was already so strong.

Last month, Asha's class—now the senior class of weyrlings—had begun their first flying lessons. The dragons were taught how to fly without their riders. It had been exciting and exhilarating, even if Asha could not join Kalianth in the air just yet. Her queen's happiness made it worthwhile.

Also last month, Octavia gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The babe was the spitting image of his mother, with a head covered with pale blond hair, and the same light green eyes. The healers said it was a miracle he hadn't come early, with all the traveling Octavia was forced to do. Unsurprisingly, Octavia also refused to hand her newborn son to a wet nurse. How she was able to care for both her baby and her dragon, Asha had no idea, but she knew one thing—that woman was a force of nature.

But peace had finally returned to Benden. With Sugol punished, there was nothing else to worry about, other than the first mutated dragon since Ruth, and the senior weyrling class taking to the skies for the first time. Which was today.

Kalianth sat patiently, as Y'gan examined her riding harness, to see if Asha had secured it properly. Despite the slowing down of her growth months ago, just weeks ago another growth spurt had kicked in, and once again, she surpassed her bronze brothers. Kalianth truly looked like a queen now. She might not be as robust as Vanth, but she was still built sturdier than her mother, even with her lean, wiry muscle. She was a magnificent creature—that most could agree on.

"Perfect," Y'gan said, nodding approvingly. He gave Kalianth a pat on the shoulder before stepping back, turning towards Asha. "You've got in down pat. Granted, you've had two months to practice, but with Kalianth's growth rate, you've also had to make new harnesses almost every two weeks. Good work, Asha. I'd say you're ready to take to the skies."

"...Wait, like right now?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Of  _course_  right now," the Weyrlingmaster snorted. "It'd be rude to not let our queen be the first to fly with her rider."

Stil, Asha found herself hesitating. She glanced around, looking towards her friends. V'rin gave her two thumbs up, while Phoebe nodded encouragingly. She turned around to face Kalianth, who watched her, eyes blue-green.

"Well, we  _are_  supposed to lead by example," she said to the young queen. "Are you ready, Kali?"

The gold rumbled.  _I have been ready for a long time. Let's show them how it's done._

With that, Kalianth laid down, allowing Asha to climb up and hoist herself onto her dragon's back. It felt strange, being all the way up here. She would have to get used to it, seeing as Kalianth still was nowhere close to maturity. She strapped herself in, trying to ignore how all eyes were on her.

_Are you ready?_  Kalianth asked.

I've never been more ready in my life. Let's go, Kali.

She let out a rumble of approval, heaving herself up onto her feet. Kalianth walked a few feet away, distancing herself from the others as to avoid accidentally hurting someone. Then she unfurled her wings, crouched, and launched herself into the air. The rush of wind tore at Asha's hair, threatening to undo her braid. And the next thing she knew, they were in the sky.

Kalianth flapped her wings, soaring higher, and let out a triumphant bugle. Asha couldn't help but laugh, but it was carried away by the wind. Keeping her grip on Kali's neck ridge, she looked down at the Weyr below, as it grew smaller and smaller the higher they went. The autumn air grew crisper, colder, to the point where they could see their breath, but Asha's fleece-lined jacket, gloves, and scarf kept her warm. The wind whipped around them, tugging at her hair and clothes, but she didn't care.

This was what she'd been waiting for— _freedom_. There was nothing to hold her back here, up in the vast expanse of the sky, with only clouds slowing them down. Kalianth's elation bled into her mind, their joy becoming one tidal wave of emotion.

_I've been wanting to share this with you for so long,_  Kalianth said.  _Soon, we'll be able to go anywhere we want. I want to see Pern. I want to see what you have seen._

_Soon,_  she both promised and agreed, reaching out to pat the young queen's neck.  _We'll visit my parents first. They have to meet you. Maybe Kirana and Quiyeth will join us. I'd… like to show them that we're friends now._

Kalianth hummed in agreement, as she slowly turned back around to head back to the Weyr.  _I am sure Quiyeth's own will agree. If not, he can coerce her._

That earned another laugh.  _I'm sure you're right._

Although reluctant, Kalianth landed back in the Weyr Bowl, where their fellow weyrlings awaited. The young queen carefully lowered herself on the ground. Asha began to unstrap herself from the harness, and slid down Kalianth's leg, landing on her feet.

"Excellent work!" Y'gan exclaimed, nodding proudly. "Your form was beautiful. Who wants to go next?"

A bunch of hands shot up. Asha loosened her scarf, watching as Y'gan picked the next contender. They were well into the autumn season, winter slowly approaching. As Benden Weyr was in the mountains, it got colder up here much more quickly. More and more dragons could be seen basking in the sun. Octavia said they were due snow any day now. Kalianth was eager to see snow in person, instead of just in her rider's memories.

The rest of the lesson went by with everyone taking their first flights. V'rin and Erith had sped off so fast, they disappeared into the misty clouds for a minute, before reappearing. Phoebe and Azurith had been slower, but only out of caution. Anais and Winonath, along with Laia and Tallulath, were very nervous, and didn't go very far. M'rek and Galarth showed off, which was unsurprising. Regardless, it was fun to watch everyone take to the skies, no longer trapped on the ground.

But once it was over, Asha decided to go see the Headwoman. Kalianth chose to go sunbathing with Quiyeth, Azurith, and Erith. After parting with her friends, she went into the caves, heading below. Heaters and fires alike warmed the caverns, though the tunnels remained chilly. Nevertheless, she was not expecting to find Remma tending to an injured C'zar.

She stepped into the Headwoman's office, ready to ask if she needed any assistance, only to cut herself off and stop short. C'zar sat in a chair in front of Remma's desk, shirtless, with a horrible looking gash ripped through his shoulder. Medical supplies sat on her desk, as she carefully worked on stitching up the wound. J'lan sat to the side, in another chair, arms crossed over his chest. Both men looked rugged, like they had been sparring. Well, that would explain the wound.

"...Do I even want to know what happened?" Asha asked, breaking the silence.

All eyes immediately turned to her, as she gave her friends a flat, unamused look.

_Yezmuth says that his own is a 'dumb bitch', as the old book J'lan is reading, that he shared with Yezmuth's own, said._

...Asha wasn't sure what that meant, but she'd take Yezmuth's word for it.

"Hello, Asha," Remma greeted, giving her a gentle smile. "I think the boys should answer that."

J'lan sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "C'zar got a little too into sparring."

" _I_  got too into it?" the brownrider scoffed. "You're the one that cut me!"

"It was an accident."

"C'zar, sit still," Remma scolded, smacking him on the arm. "Do you need more numbweed?"

"No," he grumbled, pouting.

"He's lucky it was just his shoulder," J'lan sighed.

C'zar rolled his eyes. "You're just trying to show off. Like all the other bronzeriders, since Kalianth showed off she can fly with Asha now."

"...I am not," J'lan said flatly.

"J'lan, show off?" Asha scoffed. "The only show offs I know are you and M'rek."

C'zar grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"Remind me why I'm friends with you again," J'lan deadpanned.

"Because you love me!"

J'lan rolled his eyes. "That's debatable."

"Hold still," Remma scolded again, smacking C'zar on the wrist this time.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" C'zar stammered, tucking in his chin and finally hushing.

"...I  _was_  going to ask if you needed any help, Remma, but it looks like you have this covered," Asha said dryly.

"Well, you can take J'lan out of here, before he makes C'zar fidget anymore," the Headwoman chuckled.

"If you wanted me to leave, you could have just said so," J'lan muttered, standing up. "I was meaning to speak with Asha anyway."

Well, she wasn't about to complain about that. Now that their time as interim Weyrleaders were over, there weren't many opportunities for them to talk, outside of mealtimes. J'lan was busy with his duties as Weyrsecond. He no longer had to lead his own Wing, but he had other responsibilities. Asha wasn't nearly as busy as before, now that everything had settled down, but she treasured every moment she got to spend with J'lan.

She gave a slight shrug. "If you need anything, you know how to find me," Asha said to Remma, before leaving the office, J'lan following after her.

"...So, what  _really_  happened?" Asha asked, glancing up at him as they walked down the tunnel.

"A green rose to mate," J'lan answered dryly. "C'zar was distracted for a moment, and I got annoyed. I hit him a little harder than I should have." He gave a slight shrug. "Yezmuth didn't even go after her, so he should've paid attention."

"What if your roles were reversed? What if it was a queen that rose?" Asha teased lightly.

J'lan snorted. "I would expect him to smack me even harder."

"You're pretty serious about us being able to defend ourselves," Asha noted.

"J'lor is as well," he said. "We just don't want to lose anymore lives. We'll never be able to replace who we've lost to conflict with the Holds."

Asha remained quiet. She knew he wasn't just talking about the Bitra attack now. He spoke of Briasa… of his father… and others she probably did not know about.

"But enough about that," J'lan said, as they stepped out into a larger cavern. "You had your first flight today. How was it?"

Asha managed a smile. "It was  _amazing_ —everything I've ever hoped for. Kalianth and I were so in synch. I can't wait to fly again. I felt so… free."

J'lan gave a wry smile. "Flying has that effect. I still remember the first time I rode Romanoth. It was exhilarating. Just wait until you learn how to go  _between_. You'll be able to go even farther."

"I want to visit my parents eventually," Asha said. "I want them to meet Kalianth. I want them to see how far we've come."

He nodded. "I'm sure they'll be proud of you."

She let out a bitter laugh. "You don't know them as well as I do."

An awkward silence fell.

After a moment, J'lan cleared his throat. "There is… someplace I would like to show you sometime. Not now, obviously, but when we are both free. It would be good exercise for both of our dragons. Romanoth doesn't get out nearly enough, and even then, we mostly go  _between_."

Oh. That sounded interesting. "That sounds good to me," Asha said, giving him a smile. "Kali's dying to get out more anyway."

J'lan smiled; really, he should do that more. "Well, it's settled then. I know the weyrlings' schedule, so I'll just let you know when I have some free time."

"Great! I look forward to it."

* * *

As she had taken to doing, Asha decided to check up on Jiana, after she had finished up some paperwork that was due to give to Octavia. It was the least she could do, with how restricted she was as a weyrling. Around this time of day, Ciarth was being examined by the dragonhealers, so after she handed in the paperwork, Asha headed to the Weyr's clinic, which was established in a large cavern off of the Bowl.

She walked into the clinic. There weren't many dragons here—unlike a few months ago. There were minor injuries being treated, and a healthy blue that must have been getting his annual check-up. But regardless, the emptiness was a welcome change from before.

"Oh, hello, Weyrwoman!" one of the healers greeted her, hurrying over. "You're here to see Jiana and Ciarth, I take it?"

She nodded. "Yes. I know how they dislike these examinations."

The dragonhealer winced. "Yes, I… do pity them." She turned around. "This way, please."

Asha followed her further into the cavern, passing the blue and his rider, who nodded respectfully to her. She she had run the Weyr in Octavia's absence, she had gained respect from the older riders. She didn't know what she had done to prove herself, but she had. If some dragonriders hadn't believed in her potential before, they did now.

They found Jiana sitting in a chair that must have been brought over, while Ciarth laid on a cot. Another healer was examining him, currently measuring his wingspan. The adamant dragonet was smaller than a bronze, but larger than a brown. He did lean closer to a bronze's size, even at only three months old. His eyes whirled bright orange, signaling his agitation towards his situation. She couldn't blame him. Even Kalianth had not been fond of her check-ups.

"Jiana, Weyrwoman Asha has come to see you and Ciarth," the dragonhealer said, drawing the young girl's attention from her bondmate.

She looked up. "Oh, hello…" Jiana sounded… dejected.

The healer excused herself to return to her work. Asha stepped closer, as the healer measuring Ciarth finished, standing up straight and jotting numbers down in his journal. Ciarth tried to shift, flapping his wings irritably, before furling them and laying back down, his eyes still very much orange. The dragonhealer excused himself, probably deciding to give them privacy for their conversation.

"Are you all right, Jiana?" Asha asked, frowning.

The girl gave a shrug. "I just… don't like all these tests they have to do on Ciarth. I get that he's the first adamant dragon ever and we know more about science today than we did back when Ruth was born, but still… Ciarth doesn't like being poked and prodded."

"I don't think any dragon would," Asha said. "Have they figured out anything about Ciarth's position in the hierarchy?"

Jiana made a face. "Dad thinks he's between bronzes and browns, because of how big he is. But I don't know. What does that mean about me?"

...Of course this would come up.

Jiana was ten years old. She didn't know any better. She probably expecting all the stereotypes and sayings about dragons and their riders to be true. She probably thought that maybe, someday, she would Impress a queen and become a weyrwoman like her mother.

That was obviously not the case now. Not only was her dragon a new color, but he was  _male_. Asha knew she adored him, but it still left many questions unanswered. Women Impressing male dragons rarely happened. Browns and blues preferred men, and bronzes only ever chose men.

But Asha knew that gender really did not matter to most of the dragons. How could it, when a brown chose her  _feminine_  sister, and a blue chose one of her best friends. It was true that golds and bronzes did have a strict preference, but they were the only ones.

"It doesn't mean anything," Asha told her gently. "Ciarth chose you for a reason. Dragons don't make mistakes. They know us well—sometimes even better than we know ourselves. You're just a kid, Jiana. Don't worry about this right now. You'll have plenty of time for that later."

Jiana glanced down at her hands. "I thought… I thought I'd be like you and my mom."

Asha fought the urge to wince. "Being a weyrwoman isn't for everyone, Jiana… It's difficult work. It's all right if your strengths lie elsewhere. Maybe… you're more suited to be a Weyrleader."

It probably would sound scandalous to anyone else. Weyrleaders had ever only been men. It was how things had always been. But times were changing in Pern. Perhaps this change was long overdue, and the new adamants would bring forth that change. Regardless, Asha found it intriguing. She wanted to see what Jiana and Ciarth would bring to the Weyr. It would be a long time before they were ready to graduate, but the day would come eventually.

Jiana clearly did not expect that suggestion, looking up at her with wide eyes. "A Weyrleader? Me?" She glanced over at Ciarth. "Do you think that's possible?"

Ciarth must have said something to her, because she frowned thoughtfully.

"I dunno… it would be cool. I never thought of it even as an option." Jiana looked back up at Asha. "I always thought Dad's work was more interesting than Mom's. Protecting the Weyr and stuff… Ciarth likes the sound of that, too."

Asha smiled. "Well, just keep doing your best, and maybe you'll get there someday." Maybe not here in Benden, but somewhere else. By the time they graduated, their leadership situation would be well established, whatever the outcome would be, for better or worse.

"We'll keep that in mind," Jiana said, giving a small smile. "Thanks, Asha. If anybody has to replace my mom, I hope it's you."

Jays, her over even Kasa? At least Kasa had no real interest in becoming Senior Weyrwoman and was fully supporting her taking over the position, if it came to that. Honestly, Asha hoped it wouldn't, at least not so soon after Kalianth reached full maturity. Octavia was a fine Weyrwoman. It wasn't her fault that the lack of Thread was hurting her queen's cycles. Of course, many blamed it on the 'curse'.

"Well, we'll see," Asha said dryly. "I'll leave you two to finish up the examination. If you need anything, you know how to contact me."

Jiana nodded. "See you later."

She left the dragon infirmary then, heading off to find Kalianth.

* * *

_Day 21, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

"It's that time of year again," J'lor said, handing out flyers to each of the members of the council. "The annual Harvest Gather. It will be a month from now, which gives us plenty of time to prepare. It won't be until the twenty-fourth of next month. Like always, we will be joining all the holders and outholders to celebrate and have fun. We also need to be on the lookout for candidates, as usual."

J'lor finished distributing the flyers and returned to standing behind the war table beside Octavia. The months had been kind to them as well. J'lor had taken to growing a beard, but it wasn't very thick yet. Octavia was beginning to slim out, having begun J'lan's training regime after she had the baby. Still, it was obvious she wasn't meant to be  _thin_ , and there was nothing wrong with that.

"Should we really be Searching for candidates?" one of the council members, the wingleader of the Fifth Wing, inquired. "Our last clutch hatched three months ago. We won't be having another for years. Is it really fair to make the candidates wait that long?"

"C'rel, with all due respect, that was the way of the Weyrs back during the days of Thread," Octavia said, folding her arms over her chest. "Candidates had to wait months, if not years, to bond with their perfect match. Some never even Impressed. We  _cannot_  forget our roots."

He went rigid, but nodded. "That is true. Unfortunately, today's generation is an impatient lot."

C'rel of Brown Meliuth was one of the older dragonriders of Benden, and one of the few brownriders to ascend to being a wingleader. He was in his early sixties, but still looked good for his age. He didn't have a strand of silver in his brown hair, but his brown eyes had this hardness to them. It was honestly surprising he hadn't retired yet, at his age. But he and Meliuth were still going strong.

In the few times she had dealt with him, mostly here in the council room, Asha found him extremely distasteful. It didn't help that he was friends with O'man. He also was C'zar's father—not that the two even acknowledged each other. C'rel was the prime example of the stereotypical dragonrider in the most negative way. From what Asha had heard, C'zar was only one of his many children.

"There is nothing wrong with us," Asha retorted stiffly, narrowing her eyes. "The holders are just suspicious of us, after what happened with Bitra. We have to remember that  _both_  sides suffered tragedy that day."

"Agreed," Octavia said, her voice growing quiet. "It may be years until our next clutch, but we must be ready for it when it comes. I do not want the next hatching to end up like Vanth's, with many hatchlings going  _between_ , whether the eggs belong to Serelath, Myrlith, Vanth, or even Kalianth."

"None of us want such a tragedy, Octavia," O'man said dryly, speaking up in his weasely voice. "It truly was saddening to see so many of the dragonets perish. I still remember the keening."

"So we can all agree on Searching for more candidates," J'lor said. "Good. Wingleaders, speak with your Search riders and see who is willing to work during the Gather. I don't want anyone to feel forced into it, if they rather enjoy the day." He paused, glancing over at his brother. "J'lan, your report on our Weyr defense progress."

"We're steadily improving," J'lan responded, clasping his hands together behind his back. "Everyone's combat training is going well. We still need to discuss how to improve the Weyr's natural defenses. The odds are still in our favor, but if the cannon can be invented, who knows what else they can come up with."

...That was very fair. There was only so much they could do by teaching weyrfolk how to fight.

J'lor frowned thoughtfully. "Good point. That is something we'll definitely have to discuss. I'd like to believe we don't be attacked again, and that that was a one time occurrence… but we can't be too careful. We have lives to protect."

"It would help if we had better technology," J'lan said. "Unfortunately, we lost everything when the Southern Continent was destroyed."

...Wait, what? This was the first she had heard of this.

"What do you mean?" she asked, before anyone else could speak.

The Weyrleaders exchanged looks. Finally, Octavia turned to her.

"Eighty years ago, the Southern Continent was destroyed when all of the volcanoes erupted," the Weyrwoman answered. "The Weyrleaders of the time went south a year later to see if the land would be inhabitable, but they deemed it ruined forever. We've considered flying south, now that it's been decades, but we just haven't had the time. Most holders have even forgotten the Southern Continent exists. Some people even consider it a myth. But here in Benden, we still have maps and coordinates from the exploration of the Southern Continent and all the settlements that were born there."

Asha remained quiet, nodding to acknowledge Octavia's words. Well, if the Weyrleaders didn't have time to spare themselves, or any free riders to send out to investigate, there were plenty of weyrlings who didn't have training every moment of the day.

_...What do you think, Kali?_

There was a pause.

_I think we should go south. I want to see this Southern Continent myself. Surely the land would have recovered now._

_That's what I'm thinking. We should ask the others if they want to come along. In the meantime, I need to do all the research on the Southern Continent that I can. I don't know much, other than that's where our ancestors lived when they first landed on Pern._

She could sense Kalianth's satisfaction. That sounds like an excellent plan. I am so glad I can finally fly.

_It'll be safer to just fly there instead of going_ between _anyway, since we may not be able to find pictures to give us a location. But we'll still have to plan this out carefully. I don't know how far away it is, and how long it will take us to fly there._

_Of course. I am good with whatever you decide, Asha._

* * *

Lunchtime arrived, and Asha gathered with her friends like always. Every now and then, J'lan and C'zar would join them for a meal, but today they ate with J'lor and Octavia. Sometimes, Kirana joined them as well, but she also chose to eat with her own friends instead. The refectory was abuzz about the Harvest Gather, which was understandable. Asha had only been to it once or twice, as a child, so she was excited about being able to go.

"Soooo… I'm thinking about asking Kirana to the Gather."

"Of course you are," Phoebe said dryly, with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey!" V'rin pouted. "I  _like_  her. Is that a problem?"

"Better you than somebody else," Asha said. "You make her happy, so  _I_  don't care. Just be prepared to be grilled by T'kan next time we see him."

That made him grimace. "Did you have to remind me?"

Asha smirked. "Yes."

He sighed dejectedly, before turning his attention to Phoebe. "What about you, Pheebs? Do you have anyone in mind?"

Phoebe gave him a withering look. "Why do you always have to ask me this? I'm content the way I am. Seriously."

The blond eyed her suspiciously. "Are you  _sure?_ "

She rolled his eyes again. "Yes, I'm  _sure_."

"Well, if you say so…" V'rin gave a slight shrug, before finally turning on  _her_. "What about you, Asha? You finally gonna make a move on J'lan? Or have you actually been interested in C'zar this entire time?"

She nearly choked on her drink. " _What_?!"

"I mean, I'm just saying." V'rin gave another shrug, leaning back in his seat. "It's cool if C'zar is your type-"

"For the love of—they're just my  _friends!_ " Asha pressed a hand to her forehead. "Will you ever stop this matchmaking crap?"

"Not until my friends are happily not single," V'rin declared adamantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're worse than my sister," Phoebe muttered.

Asha sighed. "Look… we can do something fun that doesn't involve matchmaking." She looked at V'rin, and then at Phoebe, forcing herself to push aside her annoyance. "Kalianth and I… want to explore the Southern Continent. We want to find out what happened there."

V'rin's eyes grew wide as saucers. Even Phoebe looked a little surprised.

"Octavia said that eighty years ago, the continent was overrun by lava when all the volcanoes erupted," Asha continued. "I may not know a lot about volcanoes… but I don't know if that even makes sense."

Phoebe and V'rin exchanged looks, then returned their gazes to her.

"So you want to see if that's true," Phoebe said. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"We'll have to fly down there."

"Uh… isn't that too far to fly?" V'rin asked. "Maybe we should wait to go  _between_."

"We may risk going back in time if we rely on pictures from books to go  _between_ ," Asha said, shaking her head. "I'm sure there is a way to do it. We'll just have to plan carefully."

"I don't know about this," Phoebe said slowly, giving a frown. "We could potentially put our dragons in harm's way by flying for such a long period of time. And we have no idea what's waiting for us down south."

Of course, there was that element of danger. But Asha didn't want to let fear hold her back anymore. She had let it control her as a child. She didn't want to go back to that.

"Yeah," V'rin said, sounding very skeptical. "Our dragons are still pretty small… Erith and Azurith don't have the same stamina as Kalianth. They never will. I'm not sure how long we could last flying over the ocean, even if we took the shortest path."

That was fair. Blues and greens weren't built to stay in the skies for long. And Azurith and Erith weren't full grown, which meant they had even less stamina than the adults. It would be much easier for them to simply go  _between_. But they couldn't do that, not until they had a clear image of the Southern Continent. They hadn't begun lessons on going  _between_  yet, but Asha knew the basics just from the few times she had experienced it. But she couldn't risk her friends… Maybe they would have to go alone for now—until it was deemed safe.

Regardless, she could do nothing now. She had to research and plan first. And probably should ask Octavia for permission in the first place.

"Well, it was just a thought," Asha said, giving a slight shrug. "We can talk more about it when I've done some research about the south."

And with that, she changed the subject, not wanting to worry her friends any further.


	12. A Different Kind of Curse

_Day 22, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

"Today begins the Sevenday of Shadowing," Y'gan announced, facing the senior class of weyrlings. "For the next several days, you will be following a rider and their dragon throughout their daily duties, to experience firsthand what it will be like once you graduate. Granted, it is not nearly as dangerous or daunting as it was during the days of Thread, but we still have many responsibilities."

"I can't even imagine what fighting Thread must have been like," V'rin muttered under his breath.

"You each will be shadowing a dragonrider of your same rank," the Weyrlingmaster continued, clasping his hands behind his back. "That way, you will witness what is expected of you as a senior dragonrider. You are expected to follow orders and complete any task your rider gives you…  _without_  groveling."

"As long as they don't treat this like free labor," Phoebe sighed.

Y'gan opened his mouth to speak again, but then, all of a sudden, Nerenth tensed, looking up at the sky. The blue let out a low rumble, glancing back at his rider.

The Weyrlingmaster let out an exasperated sigh. "For the love of—why  _now_  of all times?"

Before anyone could question what he meant, a cry resonated throughout the weyr, followed by a green shooting into the sky. Almost immediately, blues and browns leaped off the ledges leading to their weyrs and chased after her. Well, that would explain Y'gan's annoyance. Nerenth made no move to give chase himself, which was unsurprising. The older blue rarely participated, if at all.

Regardless, this was a common occurrence that did not trigger much of a reaction from Kalianth. A green's mating flight had no influence over her. Unfortunately, Azurith and Erith were not so lucky.

"All right, weyrlings, you know the drill," Y'gan sighed. "Greens, blues, and browns—back to your weyrs. Gold and bronzes—carry on as usual. We will continue this later when there are no distractions."

The class was ended prematurely, as the weyrlings began to file out, hurrying their dragons to a calmer environment. Now that they were six months old, mating flight didn't terrorize them nearly as much as they had when they were younger, but it still was safer to separate them from the tumultuous emotions. Asha nodded to Phoebe and V'rin before they retreated.

Unsure of what to do now, she turned towards Kalianth, who had been waiting patiently behind her. But then, suddenly, she snapped to attention, standing up as red and orange flecked in her eyes.

_Something is happening_ , she said.  _Anger… Anger is spreading._

"Asha, M'rek." The Weyrlingmaster's voice broke the silence, and they both looked towards him. "Come with me. There is a fight to break up."

* * *

"That's enough," a clear, feminine voice reprimanded, as the three dragonriders approached the scene, their dragons following behind them. "No is no—you know that."

Nerenth was tense. No, it was worse than that. The blue was angry, mirroring his rider's body language as they walked along. Unsure of what was happening, Asha and Kalianth trailed behind with M'rek and Galarth, as Y'gan and Nerenth strode ahead.

The dragons that had been in the sky were already long gone. A few browns and blues were on the ground, being soothed and reassured by their riders, after theri failure to keep up. A couple of greens caught some attention from three of the losing blues, and the dragons took off on another chase. Some riders were pairing off as well. It was all very usual. Asha has grown used to the outcomes of green flights, due to there being so many. She knew what to expect of them—unlike queen flights, which were so  _uncertain_. At least there wouldn't be another one soon, not until Kalianth's maiden flight, unless Myrlith rose before then.

"Looks like some bluerider tried to force himself on that green's rider," M'rek sighed, sounding very unimpressed, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't know why they think they can get away with it. Nobody can."

Asha paused, giving him a dark look. "Are you condoning their behavior?"

He gave a shrug. "No. I'm not an animal, contrary to popular belief."

She narrowed her eyes.  _I don't believe him._

Kalianth snorted.  _Neither do I._

"Ah, Zarra! Thank you for breaking it up. I brought some backup just in case, but looks like we don't need it." Y'gan's voice drew their attention away from each other. "You're lucky the Weyrleaders are taking today off. J'lor would skin you alive if he was here. I have half the mind to do it myself. You may be young, but that's no excuse."

Indeed, the two male riders who were involved in this altercation couldn't be much older than the weyrlings watching them. M'rek snorted, shaking his head.

"Disgusting."

Asha shot him a look. "Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm a bronzerider for a reason."

_Guess he fell asleep during the lesson that dragons don't care about sexuality._  Asha fought the urge to scowl. "I hope you never become Weyrleader."

M'rek rolled his eyes again, crossing his arms over his chest. "Say what you really mean, Asha. You just don't want me to bed you."

She bristled, hands clenching into fists at her side. Kalianth tensed, taking a tentative step closer to her bondmate, but not making a sound. M'rek loved to push her buttons, but she rather  _not_  make a scene during an already delicate situation. Oh no, she knew exactly what to say. All that banter with Lorelei had trained her in the art of social combat.

"Why should I? You wouldn't last even a minute, much less an hour."

M'rek's expression immediately soured, his face darkening to a deep shade of red. Asha simply smiled, reaching up to scratch Kalianth under the chin as the young queen shifted to stand beside her. M'rek may have been able to rile her up into a fight months ago, but she was learning. If she could deal with Lorelei, she could handle a cocky bronze weyrling. He was all bark and no bite.

"We'll see about that," he stated darkly.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"What, are you scared?" he taunted. "Your little weyrmate won't always be around to save your ass."

She held her tongue, fighting the urge to deny his implication. Instead, she glowered right back at him, standing her ground. She refused to be intimidated by this man.

"I don't need him, or anyone else, to protect me," she stated coldly, looking him right in the eye. "I can save myself."

"Asha! M'rek!"

Once again, the Weyrlingmaster's voice drew their attention back to him, forcing them to back off from each other. Asha gave him one last dirty look, before walking over to where Y'gan and Nerenth awaited. Kalianth snorted at both M'rek and Galarth in disgust, before following suit. M'rek spat to the side, before forcing himself to walk over with Galarth.

"M'rek, I would appreciate it if you and Galarth escorted this young man back to his weyr," Y'gan said, gesturing to the grumpy bluerider. "Please ensure that he does not take any  _detours_."

"Of course, Weyrlingmaster," M'rek said, back to his fake, polite self.

As he turned to leave with the offender, M'rek shot Asha one last dirty look. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly? He wasn't even worth it anymore. Galarth would never catch Kalianth. There was no way he would be able to keep up.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," the female voice from earlier said, and Asha finally took notice of the woman.

She couldn't have been older than her early forties, but still looked well for her age. She had sandy brown hair pulled up into a bun, a few stray wisps of hair having fallen free. She was tanned, and had a couple of noticeable scars on her calloused hands. Her eyes were a soft shade of green, light and bright against her complexion. She was short, standing a few inches shorter than Asha, but built stocky, reminiscent of a brick wall. She was dressed for the cooler weather, right down to the scarf she wore wrapped around her neck.

But there was  _something_  about her that felt…  _familiar_. Like Asha had seen her before somewhere.

"Well, that's all because of you," Y'gan chuckled. "Nerenth was worried he would have to get between them. He hates that."

"Frankly, I hate it too," the woman said, resting a hand on her hip. "But someone has to do it. Who will police the dragonriders if we don't police ourselves? This last class of weyrlings is a rowdy lot. I hope your current senior class is better."

"Define…  _rowdy_ ," Asha said hesitantly.

Y'gan winced. "That class was Myrlith's last clutch. She only ever produces browns, blues, and greens. Everyone blames it on the fact that Rionneleth is her sire. They're more  _self-entitled_  than rowdy, I'd say. There's nothing you need to worry about, with them. But enough about that!" He clasped his hands together, turning to face her. "May I introduce you to Zarra, rider of Green Feyreth. She will be the rider you are shadowing, as Kasa is unable to take you this week… and you already do so much weyrwoman work anyway."

Asha's eyes widened. "Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zarra smiled warmly. "The pleasure is all mine, Asha. I've heard you're good friends with my son. C'zar has spoken highly of you. He believes you'll make a fine successor to Octavia."

Jays… She had not expected to meet C'zar's mother. Though, she did seem awfully young to be his mother… Asha managed a small smile, albeit an embarrassed one. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

"I thought it would be good for you to see the other end of the spectrum for female riders," Y'gan said. "And Zarra is one of the finest we have."

"Oh, you flatter me, Y'gan," she laughed, waving him off. "Feyreth and I are merely doing our best."

"Well, you certainly put some of our bronzeriders to shame," the Weyrlingmaster said. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Nerenth needs to let off some steam."

The blue snorted, eyes still whirling red-orange. Asha couldn't really blame him for being upset.

Zarra nodded. "Of course." She looked up at Asha and smiled. "Why don't we get some klah? Nothing is better than klah to relieve stress."

* * *

A few minutes later, they were sitting in the refectory, after having retrieved Feyreth from her weyr. The area was mostly empty, except for a few riders coming in from the flight to get some food from the pot of stew the cooks always had going. The chose a table further from the fire, closer to the Weyr Bowl, where their dragons could comfortably curl up with them. Feyreth was average for an adult green, which was still fairly larger than Kalianth.

"I apologize that you had to see that," Zarra said, before taking a sip of klah. "Normally, flights with the younger riders go smoothly."

Asha hesitated for a moment. "Is it… commonplace… for that to happen?"

Zarra winced. "Greenriders are at the lowest rank in a Weyr. We have always been expected to… provide. We used to have quite the problem before. Regardless of gender, greenriders would be victimized whenever their dragons rose to mate. Even twenty years ago, I remember many greenriders who feared their dragon's cycle. I was one of them."

Asha frowned. "And no one ever did anything about it?"

"Not until J'roy became Weyrleader." Zarra set down her mug. "Back then, not even seventy years since the end of Thread, greenriders were still treated poorly. Weyrlings were mostly protected, unless you were unfortunate enough to Impress years before your sixteenth birthday. My… situation was the turning point."

"What happened?" Asha asked, before wincing. "That is, if you're comfortable with talking about it…"

Zarra smiled sadly. "It's all right, dear. These things must be discussed. And as an outholder, you may not fully understand. I most definitely did not. I was a holder girl, Searched at the young age of fifteen. I wasn't prepared for the day Feyreth rose to mate for the first time. They don't exactly teach you about what happens." She glanced down at her klah, wrapping her hands around the mug. "As you can imagine, Feyreth's maiden flight was a disaster. Meliuth caught her, and in turn, C'rel expected me to sleep with him, despite him being thirty-five and me only being sixteen. When I refused… he raped me."

Silence. Zarra's words slowly sunk in, twisting Asha's stomach into uncomfortable knots. To think this man had a position of power… that she had  _spoken_  to him during a council meeting the other day. This was C'zar's father… and this was his mother. That could only mean one thing…

"I became pregnant," Zarra continued, a pained, yet bittersweet smile gracing her lips. "One of the older greenriders told me I should take a short dragon ride… but I never did. I had been raised to believe that aborting a child was wrong, and the idea frightened me. So I carried the baby to term, and had C'zar."

...As she had suspected.

"I blamed C'zar for what happened for the longest time." Zarra let out a tired laugh. "I was only sixteen. I didn't know what else to do. It wasn't until much later, when he was about eight turns old, when I finally came to terms with what happened and realized he was a victim as much as I was. So instead of ignoring him like I had been doing, I began to visit him and involve myself in his life. C'rel has never acknowledged his son, but C'zar prefers it that way. He has told me many a time what he would like to do to that man."

"I'm… so sorry you had to go through that, Zarra."

"I will never forgive C'rel, or any other man or woman who is like him," the greenrider stated firmly. "But I have had time… to come to terms with it. What I mean to say is—even  _you_  are not safe from this, Asha. There was an incident with Kasa a few years ago, but the Weyrleaders interceded before it escalated. But you… are different, I've noticed."

Asha hesitated. "...What do you mean?"

"You and Kalianth represent power… an opportunity." Zarra met her gaze. "Humans are willing to do desperate things to get what they want. You may be a goldrider, but you are not exempt from the old fashion expectations we greenriders have struggled to shake off." She paused to take a drink of klah. "Have you ever asked Kasa why she is single? There are many fine young bronzeriders that could have stolen her heart. Yet, she chooses to remain alone, because she does not want to deal with the political drama that would follow."

Asha looked down at her own mug of klah, still steaming and warm in her hands. In a way, she had known. She may not be good with people like her sister, but she had learned how to read them over these past months. The feeling in her gut had told her of this; it was why she was so cautious about Kalianth's maiden flight.

"C'zar tells me you and J'lan have become close," Zarra continued, a gentleness reminiscent of a mother speaking to her child—a softness that Asha had not heard in years. "He is a good man, and most definitely not like the bronzeriders I've warned you about. But… there  _will_  be fallout if he becomes Weyrleader. First F'lon, then F'lar, and later, T'jessan… and now in more recent years, J'roy, then J'lor, and possibly J'lan? Five successions of Weyrleaders, all descended from each other. Some feel leadership has become stale and hereditary in Benden."

"What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Be vigilant, and wary," Zarra said. "I may not be closer to the leadership, but I've been around enough to know that  _something_  will go down."

_There is also Lorelei,_  Kalianth added.  _We must keep our eyes on her and Vanth as well._

Asha sighed, before finally taking a sip of klah. "I really did not expect to get dragged into this mess when I volunteered to be a candidate."

"Benden has become paranoid," Zarra sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sure you've heard about the Queens' Curse by now."

"Oh, I've heard plenty."

Silence fell between them, as they drank more of their klah. A moment or two passed, as Asha slowly processed everything she had just learned. Yes… the weyrfolk weren't much different from holders and outholders, no matter how enlightened they may be.

"Good morning, ladies!"

They looked up to see none other than C'zar, who must have come into the refectory to grab some food and spotted them. He gave his friendly trademark grin, that hadn't failed to make Asha smile in return for months now.

"Just thought I'd stop by and say hello," C'zar said, still grinning cheekily. "I mean, how could I resist, when one of my best friends is paired up with my mom for shadowing?"

_He considers me a best friend? That's so sweet…_

"Why don't you sit down, C'zar?" Zarra chuckled. "We were just talking about you."

"Jays, I hope it was all good," he laughed, taking a seat next to Asha. "I mean, considering my charming disposition, what bad is there even to talk about?"

"Your arrogance, for one," Zarra said dryly. "But I haven't seen you for a while. How are my grandchildren doing?"

...Wait,  _what?_  C'zar had-

"Uh, well…" He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I haven't visited them in a while. Been too busy, with everything going on around here."

Zarra gave him a stern look. "Well, shouldn't you fix that? I know they love seeing Yezmuth."

Asha sighed, fighting the urge to press her fingers to her temple. "Does anyone else have children that I should know about?"

C'zar's smile turned playful. "You could just say J'lan, y'know."

Asha felt her cheeks burn. "I said  _anyone_ , as in anyone else in our group of friends! I don't care if J'lan has children."

"Well, for the record… he doesn't." The brownrider leaned back in his seat, relaxing. "But boy, I half expected him to knock Lorelei up-"

" _Excuse_  me?!" Asha demanded, leaning forward. "I thought Lorelei was a one-time fling."

"Uh…" C'zar's eyes widened. "Shards… he hasn't told you?"

"Told me  _what?_ "

Zarra sighed, pressing a hand to her temple. "You really haven't grown out of your big mouth…"

C'zar let out a strained laugh. "Hahahaha… Shells, he's going to  _kill_  me. I thought he would've told you by now. For Faranth's sake, he's taking you to that secret waterfall he won't even show  _me_ , his best friend."

Asha pushed back her chair, standing up. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, Zarra, when shadowing starts."

Before either of them could speak, she was gone, storming off to find the one person responsible for this, leaving Kalianth to rush after her.

* * *

It was not difficult to find Lorelei. She was only ever in one of three places—her personal weyr, someone else's personal weyr, or the refectory. She was obviously not in the refectory, and it would be impossible to find her if she was with someone—not that Asha wanted to see that in the first place. So, with Kalianth by her side, she ventured to the weyrwoman's weyr, hoping that she would luck out and find her  _alone_.

_Are you sure this is a good idea?_  Kalianth inquired.

_No. But I need to know._

Lorelei and Vanth's weyr was closer to the weyr Octavia and Serelath shared with J'lor and Rionneleth. They scaled the pathways leading to the massive cavern. Kalianth balked at the entrance, making it very clear that she did not want to enter. Because there, laying on her humongous couch, was Vanth. The monstrous queen fixed her eyes on them, orange dotting blue-green.

"Well, well, well… look what we have here."

Asha tore her gaze away from Vanth, to see Lorelei standing off to the side, near the opening to her personal quarters, holding a glass of wine. She pushed herself off the wall, saunting over to where Asha and Kalianth stood on the edge, just on the outside of the weyr.

"I never imagined I would see  _you_  visiting me here," Lorelei drawled as she came to a stop in front of them. She swirled her glass, glancing down at the wine. "Most of my visitors have other things in mind." Her green gaze flickered up to them. "So… just  _how_  can I help you, Junior Weyrwoman?"

"I have a question," she answered brusquely.

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

Asha scowled. "What did you  _do_  to J'lan?"

"What did I do to him? I haven't the slightest." She raised the glass to her lips to take a sip of wine. "You'll have to be more specific, darling."

Asha glowered. "You know  _exactly_  what I'm talking about."

"Oh.  _That_." Lorelei lowered her glass, smiling devilishly. "I did nothing to him that he didn't want me to do. He's a grown man, sweetheart. Have you not realized that?"

"He said it was when he first graduated," Asha retorted. "He would've been sixteen— _not_  a grown man. What did you  _do?_ "

Lorelei sighed, brushing her hair behind her back. "We were  _weyrmates_. Lovers. Paramours. Whatever you prefer. He was  _smitten_  with me. Anything I wanted, he would do. Our relationship was very beneficial. He helped me get my way with J'lor, and I gave him sex. That  _is_  what every man wants, is it not? How do you think Octavia gets anything done with J'lor? Her new spawn is proof of that."

"You're… you're  _disgusting_ ," Asha spat, hands clenching into fists. Even Kalianth tensed, a low growl escaping her lips. "First J'lan, and then J'lor?"

Lorelei rolled her eyes. "It wasn't like  _that_. I have no desire for that brute. I have no idea what Octavia even sees in him I simply wanted him to listen to me, rather than Octavia and his boorish half-sister. J'lan gave me a boost by putting in his word with J'lor. J'lan was  _very_  happy to do that for me. He was such an obedient boy. I still can't believe that was almost ten years ago."

Asha bristled. "He doesn't seem too happy about it now. In fact, he wants nothing to do with you."

"That's because he's gotten all  _boring_ ," Lorelei huffed. "'Duty this, and duty that'. He doesn't know how to have  _fun_  anymore. A curse that seems to befall every bronzerider in this dump." She gave her glass of wine another swirl, before turning around. "Are you done now? I was planning on getting drunk before you so rudely interrupted me."

Scowling, Asha turned to leave. "Let's go, Kalianth. We have more important things to do anyway."

Lorelei laughed as they walked away. "You keep telling yourself that, darling."


	13. To Protect Pern

_Day 22, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

J'lan frowned, eyes scanning the report once more. This told him nothing new. This told him absolutely  _nothing_  new. He had been looking into the reports of missing persons permeating the region, ever since he was finally free of his duties as interim Weyrleader. What Sugol had said, before everything went horribly wrong, had stuck with him. He needed to do something about it, if he could. But so far, the investigation had brought forth nothing.

Almost no one was paying attention to these vanishing acts. J'lan knew humanity could be selfish, but it was honestly ridiculous. So many youth, from as young as twelve to as old as eighteen, had gone missing, both boys and girls. Families were worried sick, but nothing was being done. How had this been allowed to continue for so long? Why did the Lord Holders not care? He would never understand nobles. They should be looking after their people. It was no different from the Weyrleaders' duties.

_What will we do?_  Romanoth asked.

_We have no other choice but to lead an investigation ourselves,_  he replied, setting down the lackluster report.  _The Lord Holders will not pleased by Weyr interference, but we need to find these people._

Romanoth might be in his weyr, but J'lan did not need to be in his presence to know the bronze rumbled in agreement.  _I have no objections. Will we formulate a plan and present it to J'lor?_

_Not quite. I don't really have a plan at the moment._ J'lan quickly shuffled the papers on his desk and set them off to the side.  _We still don't know the full situation, so we need to seek out the families of victims and interrogate them._

Romanoth did not protest. He did not fully understand, but he trusted his rider knew what he was doing. Humans were very different from dragons, after all.  _Very well. I am here when you are ready._

J'lan left the Weyrsecond's office, heading further down the tunnel, past the council room that Octavia used for most of her work. J'lor had his own office—as did Octavia, but she hated the lack of space, as originally the Weyrwoman worked in the same space as the Headwoman, and the office was a new edition. J'lor did not spend a lot of time in his office either, except when he had paperwork. And today was one of such days.

He rapped on the door. "Come in, come in," the Weyrleader called after a moment, sounding quite disgruntled. J'lor loathed paperwork, more so than anyone else his brother knew. J'lan opened the door, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. He had been away this morning, at a meeting with Lord Elam, and that could only mean one thing—backed up paperwork.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked dryly.

J'lor waved him off, setting down his pen and leaning back in his seat. "I could use a break. Faranth knows how much I hate this. What's up?"

"Do you remember my report on what happened at Bitra?" J'lan inquired, and he nodded. "Well, I've continued to look into that situation. Not only has it not improved, but nothing has changed. At all. I believe an intervention is long overdue."

J'lor sighed, rubbing his jaw. "I was afraid you'd say that…" He sat up straight, shaking his head. "But… it has always been our duty as dragonriders to protect Pern. Kidnappers and slavers may not be Thread, but they are still threats to the Pernese way of life. I give you permission to investigate the matter and do what you see fit. These kinds of scoundrels are the scum of the earth."

"Thank you," J'lan said. "I would like to enlist C'zar as well."

"Of course," J'lor agreed, retrieving his pen to jot down something. "Bring A'den with you as well. The kid has potential. I don't want Lorelei bleeding it all out of him."

J'lan stiffened at the mention of  _her_. His brother wasn't wrong. Anyone who had been around since Lorelei was sent to Benden knew. Every knew class of dragonriders suffered the same fate. Lorelei would single out a young bronzerider and try to manipulate the poor sod in the same exact way as she had tried with him. A'den was not the first, nor would he be the last. Unfortunately, J'lan did not want to interact with anyone who shared a bed with  _her_ , especially when the kid was still completely smitten. But he couldn't exactly tell his Weyrleader  _no_.

"As you wish," he said. "I will have Romanoth inform Yezmuth and Chroneth."

"Very well." J'lor let out a tired sigh. "That's all, I take it? Back to paperwork for me… Shells, I miss being out on the field. Being Weyrleader isn't all that great, you know."

J'lan rolled his eyes, turning to leave. "It could be worse. We could still be fighting Thread."

"At least that would give me something that actually keeps my attention!"

* * *

About ten minutes later, the three dragonriders had gathered in the Weyr Bowl. Romanoth crouched patiently as J'lan checked his riding straps one last time. Once he was certain everything was secure, he patted the mighty bronze on the leg, and turned around to face his companions. C'zar and Yezmuth were all set. Despite his still healing injury, the brownrider was in perfect shape to go. A'den had been almost eager when first asked to accompany them—until J'lan mentioned J'lor had requested him.

"Is everyone all set?" he asked.

C'zar gave a thumbs up. "Yezmuth and I are raring to go."

"Crap!" A'den suddenly reached for his belt. "I forgot my-"

"Sword?"

They all turned to see none other than Lorelei. She smiled wryly, as she walked up to the young bronzerider, holding out a sheathed blade. His eyes widened in surprise as she gently handed the longsword to him, wrapping his hands around the hilt of the blade.

"Don't forget it next time, darling," she said dryly, that smile still on her lips. "I know you're eager to impress your Weyrleader, but you need it."

J'lan felt his stomach clench.  _Sickening…_

A'den quickly tied the sheath to his belt, cheeks flushing as he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll be more careful next time."

Romanoth turned his head, focusing a single eye on the woman, orange replacing green. He said nothing, but his growing irritation matched his rider's. And even Lorelei knew not to push her luck. She turned gracefully, her gaze landing on J'lan, making him stiffen even more, before flickering to C'zar, and then without another word, she left.

_Good riddance,_  Romanoth rumbled, the orange fading from his eyes.

"Uh, I'm all set now," A'den said awkwardly, reaching up to rub the back of his head, that sheepish smile not gone.

J'lan nodded, at least acknowledging that he had spoken, before turning to climb up onto Romanoth's back. The dragons waited patiently as their riders adjusted themselves once they had climbed up and strapped into the harnesses. Then, once everyone was secure, Romanoth, Yezmuth, and Chroneth all rose to their feet.

_Where are we headed?_  Romanoth inquired.

_Bitra, of course._  J'lan projected an image into the bronze's mind, imagining the fields outside of Bitra Hold, filled to the brim with crops just waiting to be harvested in a few weeks time. The grass gently swaying in the wind, the leaves fluttering, and the house of the specific farm they needed to begin their investigation at. Romanoth shared the image with the brown and other bronze. After a moment of studying it and ensuring they knew were they were going, the three dragons took to the air blinked  _between_.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…_  and then they appeared in the blazing afternoon sunlight, above a simple farm in one of Bitra's outholder villages. Through Romanoth, J'lan issued signals of where to land. By the time the bronzes and brown had safely lowered themselves on the ground, some outholders had gathered, some coming from the farmhouse, others from the field. J'lan carefully climbed down from Romanoth's back, landing onto the ground. C'zar and A'den followed suit.

"S-Sir Dragonrider!" A young man, gruff and dirty from working in the fields, stepped forward. His hair was brown, cut short but haphazardly, his skin tanned from spending days out in the sun, and his eyes brown. "We mean you no disrespect, but… what're you doin' here? Are you on another Search already? I thought you just had a Hatchin'."

"No, we're not on Search," J'lan answered, as his companions joined him and their dragons shifted to lay more comfortably. "We're here on official Weyr business, however. The Weyrleader of Benden has tasked us with investigating the missing persons cases that have been haunting your area, as your Hold has failed you."

All color drained from his face. He glanced back at some of the others. A girl stepped forward, grabbing the young man by the arm. She had a natural beauty about her, her brown hair pulled back into a messy bun, with wisps of sun bleached hair mixed in. She was just as tan as the young man, and along with her brown eyes, they shared a strong familial resemblance. She whispered something to him, and he winced, but nodded. Then he faced forward again, the girl still holding onto him.

"Well, uh… we're kinda one of them cases." His expression turned solemn. "I'm Herry, and this is my sister Eda. Our baby sister, Mallie, went missin' about a month ago, and Lord Sugol did nothin' about it. When our pa went up to the Hold to ask what was takin' so long, they had 'im arrested."

"What?" C'zar demanded incredulously. "I really didn't think Sugol could get any worse, yet here we are."

"Is that even legal?" A'den asked.

"It doesn't matter if it's legal or not," J'lan said. "Lord Holders can do whatever they please."

"I'd say the same about you dragonriders," the girl, Eda, retorted hotly, before letting go of her brother, turning around, hefting up her skirt and running to the farmhouse.

...Well then.

Herry winced. "You'll… have to forgive my sister, Sir Dragonriders… 'Bout a year ago, durin' one of your matin' flights, she, uh… met a dragonrider. He promised he'd come back for her, but he never did. And then she had his baby. Now nobody will marry her."

For the love of… J'lan fought the urge to sigh. This wasn't an entirely uncommon occurrence. If a queen rose while a rider was away from the Weyr, things still… happened. Holders and outholders weren't inured to the emotional bombardment from mating flights like weyrfolk were. Unfortunately, some dragonriders took advantage of that. Yet, J'lan couldn't help but feel that this girl was a little naive to actually believe a dragonrider would come back for her.

"I am… sorry to hear that," J'lan said carefully. These people could be anti-rider. He had to be extra-cautious. "Is your mother at home, then? Perhaps we can speak with her?"

Herry grimaced. "Ma's been bedridden with grief since Mallie never came home… I don't think she'll be much to talk to. But Eda knows more than me, anyhow. I was with Pa, takin' our harvest up to Bitra to sell, when it happened."

C'zar frowned. "How long were you gone?"

"'Bout a sevenday. Wasn't very long."

J'lan sighed. "We'll have to speak with your sister, then. If she can be amicable."

"For the record, I would  _never_  do something like that," C'zar said, leaning forward. "Neither would either of my brothers here."

"O-Of course not!" A'den quickly stammered, eyes wide. "I mean, I'm… I'm taken anyway."

J'lan's stomach gave another sickened twist. He really wished A'den could keep his mouth shut.

"Well, the only dragonrider I hate is the one who broke my sister's heart, and none of you are 'im, so I don't really care." He gave a shrug. "Anyhow, come with me. I can take a break to see if we can answer your questions about Mallie."

* * *

After introducing themselves and assuring everyone that the dragons would be harmless, Herry led them to the farmhouse. It was quaint, but J'lan couldn't really judge anything that wasn't made of stone. Having grown up in caverns, the thought of living in a wooden structure was quite strange to him. Nothing really stood out to him, as they were brought inside, and led to a rickety table in what he assumed was the kitchen. Eda, who was now carrying a very fat baby, glowered at them before balancing the child on her hip and setting off to put some klah on the stove.

"Please, make yourselves at home," Herry said, gesturing to the seats. "Anyone who is willing to help us find Mallie is a friend."

The three dragonriders each took a seat. J'lan ended up in the middle, with C'zar and A'den on either side of him. Herry sat directly across from them. With the pot on the stove, Eda shuffled over to her brother and handed him the baby. He smiled apologetically as his sister returned to the stove and he shifted so he was holding the child more comfortably.

"Well, let's get straight to the point," J'lan said. He really did not want to waste time. "We've heard these disappearances have been happening for a while. How long exactly have they been going on?"

Herry winced. "For a pretty long time, Sir J'lan. Like, the first people started goin' missin' over ten turns ago. It wasn't so bad then. Barely anybody vanished. But it's gotten worse these past couple of turns."

C'zar scowled. "It's been going on  _that_  long? What was Sugol  _thinking?_ "

"I think we can all agree that Sugol doesn't think at all," J'lan sighed.

Eda came over with the pot of klah, pouring each of them a mug. They all thanked her, but before she could escape further into the kitchen, Herry told her she needed to speak with them about their sister. She appeared far from happy, but after putting the pot back on the stove, she reluctantly returned to the table and took a seat next to her brother. He carefully returned the baby to her, who was being surprisingly well behaved.

"...What do'you wanna know?" Eda asked stiffly, eying them suspiciously.

Where to even start?

"Was there… anything unusual leading up to your sister's disappearance?"

Eda glanced down at the table. "Anything… unusual? No, not that I can think of."

"Hm…" C'zar frowned thoughtfully. "Had she met anyone new recently?"

Eda frowned. "Well… there was Otto."

"Oh yeah, Otto," Herry mused, giving a nod. "But he's been comin' by for a while. Like, for half a turn now. He'd always stop by to chat with Pa. He even gave us coin to help with the new baby."

"But…" Eda hesitated. "He hasn't stopped by for a while, now that I think about it…"

J'lan narrowed his eyes. "Tell us more about this Otto."

"Well, he was friends with Pa," Eda said, carefully shifting her hold on the baby, who was falling asleep. "I think he was in his thirties… He wasn't very tall, but he had these piercin' blue eyes—er, well,  _eye_. He was missin' one. Wore an eyepatch. He always scared Mallie. She didn't trust 'im."

J'lan's skin crawled. There was only one man in the world that fit that description fit him, and he knew him. He knew him all too well. His fist clenched under the table.

O'man of Bronze Sith, originally known as  _Ottoman_.

J'lan had never liked the man. He was weyrbred, and had grown up alongside his brother, him, and C'zar. O'man had been a vicious bully, tormenting J'lan for years. He didn't even stop with J'lor beating him up every single time. J'lor and O'man had had a nasty rivalry that continued up to their mid-twenties, worsening when a bronze chose O'man and not J'lor. The two were on civil terms now at least, but that was only because Octavia didn't tolerate their behavior.

But kidnapping? Slavery? Even this seemed a bit much for O'man.

J'lan exchanged looks with C'zar, who appeared to have come to the same conclusion. Of course, they both could be horribly wrong, but the description and name were awfully coincidental.

"Did this Otto have any interest in Mallie?" J'lan asked, before taking a sip of his untouched klah.

Eda stood up. "I'm sorry, but I must put my daughter to bed."

She left the table, disappearing up the nearby set of stairs. Herry sighed and took a long drink of klah. Perhaps the poor man needed something stronger to get through this conversation. Frankly, J'lan could not blame him.

"Otto… wanted to marry his son to Mallie," Herry said, setting down his mug. "Y'know, the weird 'betrothal' thing some folks do. But there was no way in hell—pardon my language—that Pa was gonna agree to that when she's only twelve. Not to mention she never even liked Otto. Who says she'd like his boy?"

That made even less sense. It was true that O'man had children, but he didn't pay attention to any of them. Not to mention weyrfolk didn't even marry. Before he started shooting out accusations, he would need to gather solid evidence supporting O'man's connection to the kidnappings. The bronzerider simply possessed too much power in the Weyr.

"Did Otto visit before Mallie's disappearance?" C'zar asked.

"Yes."

They all looked up to see that Eda had returned. She walked back over to the table and took a seat. She grasped her cup of klah, raising it to her lips to take a sip. She set it back down, and looked up at the men, her lips turned down in a frown.

"The day before she disappeared, he came by," Eda continued solemnly. "He tried to convince Pa one last time. It didn't go well. Ma lost her temper. It almost got ugly. He left in a huff. We haven't seen him since."

J'lan frowned. A'den, who had been assigned to take notes on the interrogation, continued to write furiously. All of this was troubling… He wondered just how many people this had happened to. They needed to put an end to this, regardless of who was responsible.

"And that's all you know?" he asked.

The siblings both nodded.

"I wish we could give you more," Herry said. "I mean, this is our sister we're talkin' about."

"All the information you've given us helps," J'lan said. "We know more than we did before. And that's all that matters."

They excused themselves then, promising to contact them if anything came up. Then they left the house, returned to their dragons, and took off to return to Benden.

* * *

After reporting back to J'lor, they went to the Weyrsecond's office to go over the information they had obtained. A'den handed over the notes as J'lan settled down at his desk, while C'zar pulled up a chair to take a seat and make himself at home.

"Well, that was something else," C'zar said, leaning back in his seat. "Do you really think O'man could get connected to this?"

A'den's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

...Right, he hadn't caught on. He was still relatively new, after all.

"The man they described—this Otto—matches O'man, rider of bronze Sith," J'lan answered.

"I know who O'man is," A'den said. "It's kinda hard not to. But why would one of our own do something like that? We're supposed to be protecting Pern, not harming it."

"I don't know," J'lan admitted grimly. "The O'man I know is ambitious to a fault, but even this doesn't add up. I know he wants to become Weyrleader, as most bronzeriders do these days, but I don't see how kidnapping children would help him achieve that goal."

But dragons would never bond with someone truly evil. Riders like O'man and Lorelei were troublesome, but they weren't  _evil_. It was a gray area, not black and white like some people wished it was. As much as he wanted to condemn them, their dragons had proven that they were not evil.

"Well, either way, he's up to something," C'zar said, leaning forward. "You know how chummy he's been with Lorelei. No offense to you, A'den, but we all expected Lorelei to take O'man as her weyrmate."

A'den winced slightly. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't even be here if Benden wasn't attacked."

There was a light knock on the door, which had been left open. They all looked over to see none other than Kasa standing in the doorway. It wasn't unusual for his half-sister to come by every once in a while. In fact, she preferred working with him. J'lor had a talent for pushing her buttons.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

J'lan shook his head. "No, come on in."

Kasa stepped inside and walked over to the desk. A'den hastily moved aside, giving her space.

"Did you hear about the altercation this morning?" Kasa inquired, and when he shook his head, she continued. "There was a green flight, and a bluerider got a bit too aggressive towards her rider. Y'gan and Zarra broke it up, fortunately, but it still happened."

"Jays, when will they learn that that's not okay," C'zar muttered.

J'lan sighed. "Of course. I will see to dealing with this bluerider's punishment. J'lor has enough on his plate already."

Kasa nodded. "...Also. I heard from J'lor that you have taken up the investigation on the supposed slavery ring."

She had spoken with the Weyrleader? That was surprising. But he nodded.

"Yes, we just returned from our first interrogation," J'lan informed her. "We didn't learn much, other than a man named Otto may be scouting out victims."

"Otto?" Kasa repeated, frowning. "That sounds familiar…"

"Did you hear it somewhere?" J'lan asked.

She nodded after a moment, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, I have… Myrlith and I were out flying the other day, and came across some outholders whose herdbeast got trapped in a pit of mud. We offered our assistance and Myrlith pulled the poor thing out. But I spoke with them for a bit, to hear just how the outholders have been doing, and they mentioned a man named Otto who had helped them out in a tight spot. They said he was due for another visit soon."

That… could not be a coincidence.

He narrowed his eyes. "How long ago was this?"

"About a sevenday," Kasa replied.

"Did they have any kids?" C'zar asked.

She nodded. "Yes, a boy and a girl."

J'lan exchanged looks with C'zar. The brownrider nodded, agreeing with the silent message that had passed between them. J'lan pushed back his chair and stood up. There was only one thing left to do, then. They couldn't lose this opportunity.

"A'den, report to J'lor about our findings," he said, before turning his attention back to his half-sister. "Take us to these outholders, Kasa. We might be able to stop another kidnapping."

Kasa's eyes widened slightly, but then narrowed, her expression turning serious. "Of course. Myrlith and I will take you right away."

* * *

A quick jump  _between_  was all they needed. They materialized above a grouping of farms outside of Benden Hold. Myrlith was not much larger than Romanoth, but still had to navigate herself carefully around the bronze and brown as they found a safe place to land. But it was easy to tell that something was already wrong.

People were out and about, hurriedly searching for something—or perhaps  _someone_. The riders quickly dismounted. Letting Kasa take the lead, J'lan and C'zar followed her to the nearest farmhouse. A woman stood on the front porch, wringing her hands on her apron. Kasa strode forward, scaling the stairs to approach her. J'lan and C'zar remained below.

"Merra," Kasa called to her, catching her attention. "Has something happened?"

"Kasa! Oh, you have perfect timing..." The woman's eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks stained with tears. "My children—Merrick and Sarra—have gone missing! We can't find them anywhere…"

Of course they'd be too late… Whoever these kidnappers were, they moved quickly and efficiently. If they were to save these children, they would have to move fast.

"Your son had a sensitive mind," Kasa said. "Sensitive enough that Myrlith could sense his potential. I think if she tried, she might be able to find him."

"Oh, thank goodness," the mother wept. "Please, hurry!"

Kasa headed back down the stairs. "Let's go. Myrlith can share with Romanoth and Yezmuth. Hopefully we can find them."

J'lan nodded. "Agreed."

The trio hurriedly returned to their dragons, climbing up to strap themselves into their riding harnesses. Once they were safely secure, they took off, soaring into the air, their wings whipping up a windstorm. Myrlith did her best to share with her brothers what the boy's mind felt like, and the bronze and brown began to search, probing the area for the sensation with their minds.

They circled the farmholds, and then spread out, agreeing it would be best to split up to cover more ground. J'lan wasn't sure how far the kidnappers could have gotten, depending on when the children had been snatched. They had been given no timeframe. And if dragons were involved, all they had to do was go  _between_. The children could be anywhere on Pern, then.

_Anything yet?_  he asked.

_No. But I am not suited for Searching. Yezmuth and Myrlith have a better chance than I._

Unfortunately, the bronze was right. Whenever J'lor asked them to go on a Search, they always brought a Search dragon with them. Their attempts were futile, but at least they could look for anything suspicious on the ground. J'lan had Romanoth glide closer to the earth, hoping to see  _something_.

_Yezmuth calls!_  Romanoth suddenly halted, hovering mid air.  _He has found them._

_Take us there._

Romanoth complied, blinking  _between_  for eight long seconds, until they appeared behind a large rocky hill, along with Myrlith. Yezmuth was already there, and together the three dragons dropped to the ground, surrounding the runner-drawn wagon that had two very terrified children. The runner spooked, rearing up and screaming in fear. Two men sat on the bench, the driver struggling to get the runner to calm down. Romanoth arched his neck, letting out a low growl, just adding to their intimidating aura.

The dragonriders unstrapped themselves and slid off their dragons, landing on the ground. The gold, bronze, and brown remained crouched, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. A human could easily be caged in Romanoth's and Myrlith's claws, if needed. Hopefully it would not come to that, but they were ready if needed. And now that they were closer, J'lan could easily see the boy and girl. They were bound with rope, gagged, and blindfolded. The boy, Merrick, squirmed, trying to free himself to no avail, while the girl, Sarra, remained frozen with fear.

"Release the children at once," Kasa commanded, her voice hard as steel. "And perhaps we will show you mercy."

"Or maybe not," C'zar countered, drawing his sword. "Depends on how we're feeling."

The driver yanked back on the reins, finally getting the runner to stop. "B-Back off, you dragon-lovin' freaks! Or we'll… we'll-"

"You'll what?" J'lan rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, but did not draw the sword. "Our dragons are the least of your problems now."

"L-Let's… Let's just do what they say," the other kidnapper stammered, eyes wide with fear. "I-I don't wanna get eaten by a dragon."

Romanoth snorted.  _As if we'd eat something so ridden with disease._

J'lan fought the urge to smile.

"This is your last chance," Kasa warned darkly.

"F-Fine…" The driver slumped, realizing they had lost. "Take the stupid brats!"

Not wasting another moment, Kasa rushed forward to the back of the wagon. She pulled out her dagger and began to carefully cut into the rope binding Merrick. C'zar looked to J'lan. He nodded, and the brownrider immediately strode over to the kidnappers to deal with them. J'lan remained where he was, staying on guard, in case the criminals tried anything.

Kasa cut the boy free, and removed his gag and blindfold. "Merrick, are you all right?"

Merrick's eyes widened. "Miss Kasa! Yeah, I'm okay… but my sister-"

Kasa immediately moved over to the girl, removing her blindfold and gag. "Sarra-"

"M-Miss Kasa?!"

"Yes, it's me," the goldrider said gently. "Don't worry, we're getting you out of here."

As Kasa began to saw at her bindings, J'lan returned his attention to C'zar and the kidnappers. He had taken some extra rope they had and used it as makeshift handcuffs. J'lan forced himself to relax, releasing his grip on his sword. They weren't going anywhere now. And the children were free. That was all that mattered.

_We have done well,_  Romanoth mused.

_We have,_  J'lan agreed.

_Perhaps we will get real answers now._

_Perhaps, if they are willing to talk._

_Should we tell anyone else about Sith's rider?_  the bronze inquired.

J'lan shook his head.  _No. We can't risk our knowledge reaching O'man, even if it is accidental. This must stay between us and us alone. Pass that along to Yezmuth and Chroneth._

_What of Myrlith? Should her rider not know? They could be valuable allies in this investigation._

_...I will consider it._

It wasn't that he didn't trust Kasa. No, he trusted his half-sister more than most. She and her queen were intelligent and cautious. But tensions were high in Benden—even if it was only related to politics. So many were vying for the position of Weyrleader, and no one knew who should be Senior Weyrwoman anymore. The fewer that knew, the better. If he had to entrust the information with anyone besides the Weyrleaders, it would be her. And considering that O'man was a candidate for Weyrleadr, it would be best to not involve J'lor as much as possible, in case someone tried to accuse him of trying to get rid of the bronzerider he clashed with the most.

But for now, they would focus on helping these children.


	14. Not So Painful Truths

_Day 22, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

Lorelei's words had gotten to her.

Asha had spent the past few hours ruminating. To keep herself busy, she sought out Octavia, who put her to work to update the kitchen inventory, as a new stock of foodstuffs had come in from the outholds. It was a trivial task that didn't require much thought, and that allowed her mind to wander. She couldn't stop thinking about how Lorelei admitted to using J'lan, and enjoyed every moment of it.

Her grip on her pen tightened. She stopped in the middle of jotting down the new total of potatoes. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Jays, why was she so… so… _shaken_? Naturally it was upsetting to hear that a friend had been treated in such a way. But _upse_ t seemed too weak of a word for how she felt.

Asha sighed in frustration, and finished writing out the number.

_Perhaps you should speak to him. Ask him what really happened. Hear his side of the story._

She nearly jumped in surprise at the sound of Kalianth's voice in her mind. The young queen had been quiet for quite some time. She set down her pen.

_What if I'm wrong? What if he actually doesn't dislike Lorelei? What if he loves her? What if-_

She cut off the train of thought.

_Why do I care so much?_

Kalianth gave a mental shrug. _I do not know. I do not understand the emotions you feel when you are near him. It is similar to how you feel towards me, but not the same._

Oh, shards. Asha looked down at the pen, feeling heat blossom over her cheeks. Of all the people… of all the people she'd met and befriended in the entire Weyr… it had to be _him_. J'lan, who drove her insane when they first met because of his lack of emotion. J'lan, who put the many above the few. J'lan, who followed reason to a fault. J'lan, who only let a select few get close to him.

This time, Asha's sigh was weary. She pressed her fingers to her temples. "Faranth save me…"

Why had Lorelei's words bothered her? It was a convoluted mess of emotions. A melting pot of anger, jealousy, worry, and anxiety. She was furious at Lorelei for what she did. She was jealous that Lorelei got to enjoy such intimacy with J'lan. She was worried about J'lan. And she was anxious about what this meant about her own standing with the bronzerider.

There was more to it than that—much more complicated, much more difficult to put into words. She cared for J'lan. That was nothing new. They were friends, after all. But her feelings ran deeper than she had initially believed. They were stronger. Much stronger. Somehow, she'd become attached to him. Emotionally attached. Oh, she had feelings for him—romantic feelings. A crush, if you will.

_A crush? What an unusual term._

"You can say that again," she muttered under her breath.

Regardless, Kalianth's confusion was evident. _You have these feelings… these 'romantic' feelings for Romanoth's rider. What does this mean?_

Jays… She hadn't expected these questions from her dragon. She tried to think of how to explain it. She tried to put images in her mind—memories of her parents showing affection to each other, the fleeting moments she'd seen between J'lor and Octavia, even Kirana and V'rin dancing during the celebration of Vanth's mating flight. Kalianth mulled over these images, processing the knowledge her rider shared. Unfortunately, Asha's thoughts drifted back to J'lan, to-

_Ah. So you wish to mate with him._

_"What? NO!"_ Asha's outburst came out both verbally and mentally. She clapped her hand over her mouth, feeling her face burn even more. She quickly glanced behind her. Oh, thank the First Egg… No one was coming to see what the problem was.

_There is nothing shameful about desiring someone,_ Asha, Kalianth said gently. _Someday, I will feel the same. It is only natural._

_For Faranth's sake… that's not the problem…_ Asha pressed a hand over her face.

_So you do not want to mate with him?_

_No! I mean… yes. That's besides the point!_ She groaned out loud. _I'm not interested in children right now! You know that._

That did not stop Kalianth. In fact, Asha could sense her rumbling, proud of herself. She could just imagine the young queen, lounging smugly as she basked in the sun.

_Don't worry, Asha. I will let Romanoth catch me. I like him the best anyway._

Asha buried her face in her hands. _Why are you even thinking about this…_

_Because Mother said I should pay attention to my suitors._

She sighed. _Of course Serelath did…_

Kalianth didn't miss a beat. _Well? Are you going to look for him?_

Asha bit her bottom lip. _I… I suppose so… Where is Romanoth?_

There was a pause. _...Oh! Romanoth just returned with Myrlith and Yezmuth! They are… angry? Something has happened._

Asha was immediately on her feet. _I'm on my way._

* * *

The dragons had gathered in the Weyr Bowl. Kalianth, who flew over to catch up to Asha, followed after her rider as she hurried to the scene. By the time they got there, Octavia and J'lor were already present, speaking with Kasa and J'lan. C'zar stood further back, next to Yezmuth. The three dragons had formed a semicircle around two ragged men, dressed in dirty clothes, their wrists bound with rope.

"What's going on?"

All eyes turned on them as Asha and Kalianth came to a stop on Octavia's other side. She quickly found herself unable to look J'lan in the eye, moving her gaze away from him as soon as their eyes met. She did not want to be reminded about how flustered she had been just a few minutes prior. It was a miracle that she could even pull herself together fast enough.

"Ah, Asha," Octavia greeted. "Kasa, J'lan, and C'zar have captured some slavers."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"I didn't expect any suspects to be captured the day I approved the investigation, but I'm not about to complain," J'lor said dryly.

"Wait, what investigation?" Asha asked.

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with," Octavia said. "Leave it to the senior riders to handle. J'lan is very capable of solving the case on his own. You need to focus on your weyrling training."

Asha's eyes widened. "But-"

"No buts," Octavia scolded firmly. "Leave this to us, Asha. Go on, now."

There was no pushing it—not when Octavia had that look in her eye.

Fighting the urge to scowl, Asha nodded politely. "Yes, Weyrwoman." She turned around. "Come on, Kali."

The queen turned with her, and together they left. Oh, that was frustrating. She understood where Octavia was coming from—she really did. But she had gotten used to being included… to being _important_. Suddenly, they were being told they weren't needed… that they should just focus on being weyrlings. But all she wanted to know was what the investigation was about. That was it. She hadn't asked to join in on it. Jays…

But… she still needed to speak with J'lan. She needed to know the full story—just how he felt. For all she knew, Lorelei had been lying to get at her. She hoped that was true.

Unsure of when J'lan would even be free, she decided she had no other choice but to wait outside his weyr. He would probably return there first, as he'd been out for most of the day. So she and Kalianth made their way there. It was one of the largest weyrs, as Romanoth was, well, _massive_. They stayed on the outside, not invading the bronze pair's personal space. Eventually, Asha sat down, Kalianth curling up around her and resting her head on her lap.

Asha scratched Kalianth's eye ridges, going over the questions she wanted to ask. Shards, she had never been this anxious before in her life. She also had never really liked someone before. Sure, she'd had crushes as a girl, but she had been a _child_. She was an adult now—a woman. She was no stranger to intimacy. Her relationship with Rylan was proof of that. She liked him, sure. But she had never _loved_ him.

This… This was something else.

Minutes passed. Minutes turned into half an hour. And then finally, the trembling of the ground announced Romanoth's arrival. Asha looked up to see the large bronze come to a halt in front of them, his rider ahead of him. There was a pause as the bronzerider noticed them, his dragon lowering his head to gaze at them curiously.

"...Asha?" J'lan seemed to hesitate, confusion and uncertainty in his blue eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She hastily stood up, separating herself from Kalianth and brushing dirt off her pants. "I wanted to talk to you."

He narrowed his eyes. "If this is about the investigation, I'm not allowed to discuss it with anyone on the outside."

"No! It's not about that." She shook her head as Kalianth slowly rose to her feet. "I... wanted to ask you something…."

He looked up at Romanoth, and nodded to him. The bronze carefully maneuvered around Asha and Kalianth, slipping into the weyr. He ambled over to his couch, before lowering himself down onto it and relaxing. The ground trembled with each step he took. But J'lan shifted closer now, though he still seemed very… hesitant. Was there something wrong?

His gaze flickered over to the young queen. "...You brought Kalianth."

Asha frowned. "Of course I did. She goes almost everywhere with me."

He pressed a hand to his temple, closing his eyes. "I don't understand… Why are you here?"

"Because… I have a question? A…" She glanced down, wrapping an arm around herself. "A personal question."

"Asha…" He sighed. "What is it?"

She forced herself to look back up at him. "I… found out you and Lorelei… were weyrmates."

The change was instantaneous. J'lan's expression darkened. His entire body stiffened, one of his hands clenching into fists. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips pressing into a hard line. Asha immediately regretted bringing it up. Maybe this had been a bad idea…

He opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. "...Where did you hear that?"

Asha winced. "...C'zar just… let it slip."

He let out a tired sigh. "Of course he did…" He lowered his gaze for a moment, before looking back up at her. "What about it?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Why… why did you lie to me? You said it was a one time thing…"

He looked away. "It wasn't something you needed to know."

"Do you not trust me?"

" _Shards_ , Asha." J'lan returned his gaze to her, his expression pained. "You're one of the few people who I trust. It's just… not something I like to speak of."

"Because she hurt you."

He glanced down. "...I was sixteen. It took me four turns to realize she was using me to have some sway with my brother. Four turns of being her pawn. Four turns of abuse that I thought was love. I only got out of because Romanoth finally convinced me that it wasn't healthy or right."

It explained too much. It explained _everything_.

J'lan was so cold because he was shielding himself from further harm. He was so distant because he was afraid of being hurt again. J'lan was overprotective because he didn't want anyone to suffer in any way. He seemed so callous because he no longer knew how to express himself after suppressing his emotions for such a long time.

Lorelei had _damaged_ him. She had _broken_ him.

Knowing that this happened to him… hurt. It made her heart ache. It made her wish she could help somehow. It made her wish she could take away his pain. But she knew she couldn't. She was utterly powerless. He probably wouldn't even take her seriously. She was just a weyrling, after all.

"J'lan, I'm…" Asha lowered her gaze. "I'm so sorry… You don't have to tell me anymore."

He was quiet for a moment, as he stepped past her, entering the weyr. "Don't worry about it, Asha." He glanced back at her. "And next time you want to talk to me about something like this… don't come to my weyr. People will get the wrong idea. I'll see you at dinner."

Before she could question what he meant, J'lan had walked away.

_...That was weird._

Kalianth tilted her head to the side. _I think he said that because humans mate in the weyrs. You like to mate in your beds. Her rider and Father's rider mate quite a lot. That is what Mother told me._

Heat rushed to her face. Oh, shards.

_KALI! I DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT! JAYS!_

* * *

_Day 23, Month 10, Turn 100, 9th Interval_

* * *

After breakfast and morning chores, Asha and Kalianth met up with Zarra and Feyreth. They found the green pair in the Bowl, but surprisingly, they were speaking with a bluerider, who was accompanied by none other than Phoebe and Azurith. Asha hadn't thought they'd taken that long to prepare for the day, but it was true that Kalianth had a lot more hide to oil compared to Azurith.

They approached the group. The dragons noticed their arrival first, all turning to look at them. Azurith immediately shifted to greet his sister, standing beside her as the others made room for them to join the gathering of riders.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Asha said. "What's going on?"

"We were discussing our plans for today," Zarra answered, giving a friendly smile. "D'ax and Alvath will be joining us to visit the Benden Orphanage. I believe you already know Phoebe and Azurith, who are shadowing them this sevenday."

The bluerider held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Weyrwoman."

D'ax was younger than she expected for a rider involved with the shadowing; he had to be in his late twenties. He had wavy brown hair, kept short but slightly messy, light skin, and brown eyes. He stood at about average height, all geared up to fly. Asha accepted his handshake.

"Please, just call me Asha," she said, before glancing over at her friend. "Good morning, Phoebe, Azurith."

Phoebe dipped her head in greeting. "Morning."

Asha returned her attention to Zarra. "We're going to an orphanage?"

The greenrider nodded. "Yes. One of our duties as dragonriders is to check up on the holders to ensure they are doing well. A few of us like to pay visits to the local orphanages, not only to see if any of the children have potential as candidates, but to brighten up their day. We do this every week. Greenriders and blueriders are usually the ones who volunteer for this, as our dragons are the smallest and pose the least threat to the children. But they're in for a treat today, getting to see a queen."

_I look forward to playing with the children,_ Kalianth said.

"They love the firelizards, too," D'ax added. "Mine is around here somewhere. He knows better than to wander off _too_ far when we're about to leave."

As if on cue, a brown firelizard blinked into view. He darted over to D'ax, letting out an apologetic croon, before perching on his shoulder.

"See?" the bluerider chuckled. "This is Lancer. He likes to wander about, which helps on Searches sometimes. Alvath is a Searchdragon, which is why we go visit orphanages a lot."

"D'ax wants to see if Azurith has the ability to be a Searchdragon," Phoebe said. "Blues have the highest potential for it."

"Oh! That would be neat." Asha gave a smile. "Well, I hope we have fun regardless."

"Indeed," Zarra agreed. "Well, we should get going. Is everyone ready?"

D'ax nodded. "Alvath and I are all set."

"Azurith and I are ready as well," Phoebe said.

Asha nodded. Not only was she dressed ready to fly, in her fleece-lined aviator jacket, long-sleeved woolen tunic, trousers, fleece-lined boots, and woolen scarf and gloves, but Kalianth already had her riding harness on. She also had her sheathed sword strapped to her belt—just in case. "We're ready."

Zarra smiled. "Excellent. Let us set off, then!"

* * *

As Kalianth and Azurith did not know how to go _between_ yet, they would have to fly all the way to Benden Hold. Asha did not mind. This was their first truly long flight. Kalianth radiated pure joy from the moment they took to the air. She spread her wings and glided after Feyreth and Alvath. Azurith flew beside them, having to work a little harder to keep up due to his smaller size. It was nice, despite the chill, to have the wind blowing through her hair, as they soared through the sky.

_This is nice._

Kalianth trilled in agreement, flapping her wings so she surged up above Azurith. _There is so much space up here! And there's so much to see!_

Asha smiled, before leaning a little to the side to get a better look at the landscape below. _Let's see if I can find my parents' farm…_ A moment later, she spotted the familiar group of buildings. _There!_

The gold looked in that direction. _Oh! It looks so much smaller from up here._

_You'll be bigger than the barn one day, I'd wager._

This seemed to please Kalianth. She glided back down to fly beside her brother. That was when, suddenly, Azurith dipped down, his eyes suddenly whirling orange.

"A caravan is being attacked by snakes!" Phoebe shouted over the wind.

Asha looked down. Indeed, maybe a klick away from Benden Hold, was a covered wagon. The runners were spooking as thin, fast moving creatures darted around. One of them jumped up, tearing right through the tarp that covered the wagon.

"Everyone, to the caravan!" Zarra barked. "We must help them!"

The dragons all reacted. They tucked in their wings, diving down towards the ground. The wind ripped and tugged at Asha's braid, cold biting her bare skin. Feyreth and Alvath reached the caravan first, both pulling up gracefully before they could collide with the tattered wagon. Feyreth snatched up a snake in her claws, before arching back up into the air and throwing it back towards the ground. Alvath sunk his fangs into another, carrying the squirming creature up into the sky.

Unfortunately, Kalianth and Azurith weren't nearly as graceful. They tried to mimic their elders' movements. Azurith was better at it, thanks to his lack of bulk, and managed to claw at one snake before landing clumsily, nearly tripping over himself. Kalianth was even more ungainly, clipping the wagon as she tried to land without getting in the way, completely missing one of the snakes. Asha was jostled, but the riding straps kept her secure.

Asha glanced behind her, quickly sending the image of the snake lunging at them, launching itself with its six legs. Kalianth whipped around with speed that neither of them knew she had, and snapped. The snake threw itself into her jaws, crunched between her sharp fangs. It gave a dying shriek, before the young queen tossed it aside, eyes whirling red orange.

"Tunnel snakes!" Asha warned, having recognized the species. "Be careful, they're venomous!"

Another snake burst from the ground at their feet. Kalianth spooked, rearing up, claws tearing at the creature. She dropped back down, more orange mixing into her multifaceted eyes. Oh, Kalianth was annoyed now—agitated, even. How _dare_ these creatures attack them.

"The runners! Someone free them!"

A feminine voice caught Asha's attention. She glanced behind her to see a young woman sitting in the driver's seat, frantically trying to unhook the runnerbeasts from the wagon, as they pranced around in fear, eyes white with fear. Hearing Asha's silent cue, Kalianth turned back around, leaping beside the runners, which only frightened them more. Asha unsheathed her sword, and with one fell swoop, cut the leather harness trapping the runners to the wagon. With terrified whinnies, they bolted in a flurry of dust.

"Look out!"

Azurith darted forward just in time to pounce on a tunnel snake that had been about to throw itself at the young woman. She yelped in surprise, flinching back, but the blue didn't touch her. Feyreth and Alvath dropped back down to the ground a few feet away, as Azurith took a step back. The two adult dragons laid down so their riders could safely dismount.

"I believe that's all of them," Zarra said, now on the ground.

"Are you all right?" Phoebe asked.

The young woman looked to be around their age. She had wispy brown hair pulled up into a haphazard bun on top of her head, lightly tanned skin, and blue-green eyes—pretty, in a more down to earth sort of way. She was slightly shorter than average and slightly plum, her curves basically telling that she had lived a good life. She was dressed for travel, bundled up for the autumn weather.

She gave a smile. "Yes, thanks to you! Your dragon-" She looked down at the blue. "He saved my life."

Azurith arched his neck, rumbling proudly. Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Oh, look what you've done now. He'll be bragging about this for weeks. I'll never hear the end of it."

The girl laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "He's adorable. My name's Niomi, by the way. Thank you for coming to save me—all of you."

"It was our pleasure, dear," Zarra said, having approached them with D'ax. "I'm Zarra, rider of Green Feyreth."

"Sorry about your horses," Asha said with a wince. "I'm Asha, and this is Kalianth."

"It's all right," Niomi said with a light laugh. "They'll find their way back to me. They always do. But my wagon?" She glanced back at the damage that had been done. "...I'm not so sure."

"Well, I'm sure there's something we can do to help," D'ax said. "Oh, I'm D'ax, rider of Blue Alvath, by the way."

"And I'm Phoebe," the redhead introduced. "This is Azurith. We were just on our way to Benden Hold."

"Oh, perfect! I'm on my way to make a delivery to the Hold, actually!" Niomi hopped down from the wagon. "I've just taken over my parents' business, so I've had to personally deliver all of our goods to our clients."

Kalianth and Azurith shifted back, giving the woman space. The dragons watched curiously, not quite certain of what she was doing.

"Where must you make your delivery?" Zarra inquired. "Perhaps we can lend you our dragons' strength to transport your goods there."

Niomi's eyes widened as she turned to look at them. "You don't have to do that! You've already done so much just by saving me."

"Let us help," Phoebe insisted, her voice surprisingly firm. "We're on our way to the Hold anyway. It's not that much farther out of our way. It's the least we can do."

Niomi looked up at her, eyes still wide, but then her expression softened, and she nodded. "Very well. I won't deny any help, if you're that adamant about it."

Zarra turned towards Asha. "What do you say, Weyrwoman? You do technically hold rank over all of us here. Shall we aid this young lady or continue on our way?"

"Oh, uh…" Asha's eyes widened, caught off guard. She hadn't expected to hear _that_ from one of her seniors.

_We should help,_ Kalianth said, glancing back at her rider. _It is the right thing to do._

_...I agree._ Asha looked back up at them. "We shall lend her our aid." She looked over at Niomi. "Where are you to deliver your goods?"

"I have a contract with Phoebus's General Goods," Niomi answered. "They've done business with my family for a while."

Phoebe's eyes widened, all color draining from her face. "That's my family's shop."

Niomi looked at her with surprise. "You're Phoebus's daughter? I thought his daughter was much younger."

"...The noteworthy one." Phoebe's words were laced with bitterness. "That would be my baby sister, Phaenna."

"I… I see." She frowned, troubled. "W-Well, regardless! I need to unload my wares. Please bring your dragons over here!"

Niomi disappeared behind the wagon. Zarra and D'ax followed suit, their dragons rising to follow them as well. Asha shifted in her riding straps, turning towards her friend. Phoebe's expression was dark, her lips pressed into a firm, hard line. Even Azurith's eyes had turned yellow.

"...Are you sure about this?"

Phoebe shook her head, and looked up. "No, but… I can't keep running away from this. And Phae—she deserves the chance to meet Azurith."

Asha pursed her lips, but nodded. "Well, if it's any consolation… I am here with you. Kali, too."

Phoebe managed to crack a small smile. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

She returned the smile with her own. "Of course. We're all in this together."

Whether they admitted it or not—Benden Weyr was their new home. The weyrfolk were their new family. And even if Phoebe's family rejected her… she would never be alone. She had Azurith. And she had brothers and sisters who really did care.

* * *

Naturally, Feyreth and Alvath ended up carrying the most of the goods. With boxes strapped to their backs and held in their claws, they took off once more. Kalianth and Azurith each carried one box, bound with a rope handle they held between their jaws. Niomi rode with D'ax, as Alvath was the largest out of the four dragons. They had to leave behind the wagon, but… Niomi might have to invest in a new one anyway. Tunnel snakes were such pesky pests.

It must have been a sight, seeing two blues, a green, and a gold, ferrying wooden crates through the air. They soared above Benden Hold, as Azurith shifted to take the lead, showing the way to Phoebus's General Goods. Azurith also shared the image of the store to his fellow dragons, who in turn shared it with their riders. Kali and Azurith went in for a landing outside of the shop, while Feyreth and Alvath carefully navigated their larger bodies to lower the crates onto the ground, before finding spots to perch on the walls, so their riders could safely dismount.

The holders who were out and about stopped whatever they were doing to watch. Kalianth landed with much more grace than before, gently placing the crate on the dirt road, dropping the rope. Azurith was a bit more clumsy, but he managed to avoid getting in anyone's way. Asha began to unstrap herself from the riding harness, and dropped down to the ground.

It'd been a while since she visited Benden Hold.

_People are staring._

Asha looked around. Unsurprisingly, the holders who had been out and about still hadn't moved, some staring, some whispering and pointing. Most of these people had never seen a queen before. The golds rarely ever left the Weyr—something that probably should change. Asha simply forced herself to smile, nodding to them all, and then walking over to where Phoebe was dismounting. Kalianth followed.

"This is it?" Asha asked.

Phoebe turned towards the building. It was made of stone, as was everything in the Hold. Stone brick upon brick, with a roughly slated roof. A sign was made of wood that looked just as rough as the stone, and read _Phoebus's General Goods_. There was a glassless window on each side of the wooden door.

She nodded. "This is it."

Asha crossed her arms over her chest. "I forgot how dreary the Holds are."

Phoebe snorted, actually smiling. "At least we have colorful dragons back at the Weyr, right?"

"And quilts," Asha laughed. "Maybe they need to start hanging some outside."

_It seems quite cramped here,_ Kalianth noted. _I will not be able to land inside the Hold when I am older._

Just then, Niomi appeared, having finally scampered her way down. "Zarra and D'ax will begin bringing the crates down here! In the meantime, I should go inside and let Phoebus know everything has arrived."

Phoebe stiffened, but nodded. "All right. Let's… go in."

Niomi nodded in return, and turned around, heading for the door. Phoebe followed after a moment. Asha glanced back at Kalianth, who nodded to her to continue. So she, too, went inside the store, shutting the door behind them.

It was a modest shop—not incredibly fancy, but still well to do. Shelves stacked with good were arranged methodically in rows. Everything was labeled with price tags. It was a typical general store. Nothing about it particularly stood out. There was a counter in the back of the store, with more shelves behind it, but no one was there. Surely they wouldn't leave a store unmanned.

Niomi glanced around, searching for anyone. Frowning, Asha, too, began to look around. There was a shuffling noise, and a young girl stepped out from one of the aisles, busily sweeping. She couldn't have been older than thirteen, and shared a striking resemblance with Phoebe. She had the same auburn hair, pulled back into a messy ponytail, and the same myriad of freckles. The main difference between them was that this girl had bright blue eyes, instead of brown.

The girl glanced up, and her eyes immediately widened. "Oh! Customers!" She seemed to panic, standing up straight. "I'm so sorry— _Phoebe?!_ "

Indeed, her gaze had fallen upon the young bluerider, who had been trying her hardest to stay unnoticed in the back.

Phoebe winced, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. "Hey, Phae."

"What are you _doing_ here?!" The girl's grip on the broom had tightened, her knuckles turning white. "If Mama and Papa find out you're here-"

"You don't have to remind me," Phoebe sighed. "Where are they now?"

"Phallan's wife went into labor," she answered. "They went there to see the baby and left me to watch the shop."

"Of course they did," Phoebe muttered under her breath. "I didn't even know she was expecting."

Phoebe's sister grimaced. "They didn't think you deserved to know…"

Asha narrowed her eyes. "Is your family normally this awful?"

"Unfortunately," Phoebe said dryly. "Well, this is my little sister, Phaenna. She's the only good one out of the lot of them."

"I'm not that great," Phaenna mumbled, before smiling up at Asha. "Are you Phoebe's… what do you call them? Weyrmate?"

Uh… How to break it to her?

"Shells, it's not like that," Phoebe groaned. "Asha and I are friends. I'm not interested in her like that."

Phaenna looked over at Niomi. "Are you her weyrmate, then?"

Niomi laughed gently. "No, I'm not. Your sister and her friends were kind enough to help me bring my goods here for your shop."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot we're due a shipment!"

Phaenna dropped the broom and scurried back behind the front counter. Niomi followed after her, leaving Asha and Phoebe back closer to the door. As soon as her sister was out of earshot, Phoebe let out a heavy sigh.

"I was hoping she wouldn't be here…"

Asha frowned, turning towards her friend. "Why?"

"She was the unhappiest about me becoming a candidate," Phoebe answered, her gaze flickering to the floor. "She got into a huge argument with our parents about it. She ended up crying when it was time for me to leave."

"Oh… I see." Asha's frown turned thoughtful. "She seems all right now."

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know."

Zarra and D'ax arrived then, bringing in a couple of boxes. Asha and Phoebe immediately went to help them. It had been awhile since Asha had had to carry hay bales and the like, but she managed to help bring in a few with Phoebe. She really wondered just what was in these crates. Niomi and Phaenna helped them navigate where to place the crates.

"Well, that should be it," Niomi said, putting her hands on her hips. "Thank you so much for helping. I definitely would not have made it here if not for all of you."

Zarra smiled warmly. "It was nothing, dear. We're simply doing our duty as dragonriders—helping the people of Pern."

Phaenna beamed up at them. "All of you are so cool! Can I meet your dragons?" She looked over at Phoebe. "Come _on_ , I wanna meet them!"

"All right, all right, you don't have to give me that look," Phoebe sighed, but there was a hint of pride in her voice. "Sure, you can meet the dragons. As long as the others don't mind."

"I certainly don't mind, and I doubt Kalianth will either," Asha said.

_I do not mind at all,_ the queen said.

"Feyreth would be honored to meet you," Zarra said, giving the young girl a gentle smile.

"As would Alvath," D'ax said, nodding.

Phoebe gestured for Phaenna to head outside. Her face lit up with excitement, and she was out the door before they knew it. Phoebe headed after her, leaving the other riders to follow suit. Niomi also decided to step outside with them.

"Oh my gosh! That's a _gold!_ "

It was unsurprising that Phaenna's attention would be caught first by Kalianth's gleaming gold hide. The young queen turned her head, eyes whirling blue-green as the young girl scampered over to her. Azurith still stood beside her, watching curiously.

"Can I… pet her?" Phaenna asked hesitantly, glancing behind her.

_She may,_ Kalianth said.

Asha nodded. "She doesn't mind."

Phaenna's blue eyes sparkled with excitement. She started to reach up, pulled her hand back for a moment, and then steeled herself, slowly and carefully touching Kalianth's nose. The young queen lowered her head, which seemed to encourage her a little, as she gave the dragon a more proper stroke.

"Her skin is so soft," Phaenna breathed, eyes wide with awe. "What's her name?"

"Kalianth," Asha told her. "She hatched from the same clutch as Azurith."

"Whoa! That's cool!" She looked over at Azurith. "Are you my sister's dragon?"

The young blue nodded.

Phaenna turned around to face her sister. "Can I-"

"PHOEBE?"

A shrill, glass-shattering voice interrupted Phaenna. The little girl froze, as did Phoebe. Asha immediately looked over at the source of that horrible screech. There, standing where the voice had come from, was a short, plump middle aged woman, with dull brown hair streaked with silver, and the same blue eyes as Phaenna. Standing beside her was a much taller man, about the same age, with auburn hair fading with gray, tanned, freckled skin, and the same brown eyes as Phoebe. These people were, without a doubt, Phoebe and Phaenna's parents.

"...Mother, Father." Phoebe's greeting was short and crisp, matching her rigid stance.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I thought we told you to never come back if you didn't Impress a queen."

"Excuse me, Naena," Niomi said, speaking up and stepping forward before anyone could even react. "But aren't you being a little harsh? Phoebe and her companions saved my life and helped me arrive safely, with your goods."

Phoebe's mother, who Asha now assumed was named Naena, turned her gaze onto the merchant. "So _you're_ the cause of this?"

Phoebe, who had walked over to where Azurith stood, his eyes now whirling yellow-orange, now spoke, completely ignoring everything her mother had previously said. "You never told me Lilla was expecting."

Her father, who Asha guessed was Phoebus (hence the shop's name), stiffened. "You have no right to be included in this family any longer."

"Yes she does!" Phaenna declared, glaring at her parents. "So what her dragon is a different color?"

Naena sighed. "You don't understand, Phaenna. It's what that color _represents_."

She scowled. "So _what?_ Why does it _matter?_ "

Again, Naena opened her mouth to say something, but never got the chance.

_"Enough!"_

Phoebe and Azurith snapped at the same time, resonating in unison. Everyone had froze, startled by the outburst. Even the holders had heard the blue's voice. Even Phaenna looked back at her sister, eyes wide. This was the first time Phoebe had ever raised her voice. The young woman had always been so… _quiet_. But it'd be obvious to anyone that she had had enough, just from how she stood beside Azurith, tense and scowling. Honestly—Asha was in shock.

Phoebe squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "Look… I'm _not_ going to just stand here and listen to you badmouth Azurith and me."

_Azurith's rider has grown,_ Kalianth murmured. _She finally makes a stand._

_Finally… This has long been overdue._

Phoebe opened her eyes, having finally calmed herself. Azurith reached out to nudge her shoulder. She smiled faintly, placing her hand on his neck. Once again, his eyes whirled blue-green, as he settled down, too. Phoebe forced herself to look back over at her parents, hyper aware that all eyes were on her in this moment. But even she had to know there was no backing down now.

"I… understand that you're not entirely happy with me," Phoebe said haltingly, but steeled herself. "I understand that I'm not what you wanted in a daughter. But what _you_ have to understand—this is who I am. Who I've _always_ been."

Phoebe's parents seemed to hesitate. They looked very unsure of where this was going.

"Yes… it's true." Phoebe's gaze flickered over to Azurith. "I love women, and have no interest in men. But so what? That doesn't change that I'm your daughter. That we're _family_." She looked back up at them. "Phae was able to see that. Too bad you weren't."

The reaction was instantaneous.

Phoebus's eyes widened with shock. Naena's face darkened red with anger. Phaenna covered her mouth with her hands. Even Zarra, D'ax, and Niomi looked surprised. But Asha? She was proud. Her friend had finally put her foot down and decided to no longer tolerate this treatment. She was putting herself first. That was all Asha could ask for.

Phoebe looked over at Asha. "Are we ready to go now?"

Asha looked over at the greenrider who had brought them here.

Zarra nodded. "Yes, we are. Shall we head off? The orphanage awaits."

Phoebe nodded, too, giving an actual smile. "Yeah, Azurith really wants to meet those kids."

"Then it's settled," Asha said. "Let's go."

* * *

After several long hours of playing with the children at the orphanage, the dragonriders and weyrlings decided to stop by the well to water their dragons before heading back to the Weyr. It truly had been an enlightening experience for Asha and Kalianth. So many of the little girls had been thrilled to see a queen firsthand. A couple of them even said they wanted to be goldriders when they grew up. Ambitious, but possible. Asha wasn't about to tell them no.

Asha stood off to the side, doing some last checks to Kalianth's riding straps. She already had drank her fill of water, as the others had insisted she go first. Azurith had just finished, and Phoebe and the blue walked over to join them.

"Well, today has certainly been eventful," Phoebe muttered, giving a tired sigh. "Never thought _that'd_ happen today."

"You handled it well," Asha said.

"Thanks…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I just wish Phae didn't have to see that."

Asha winced. "I can understand that."

Phoebe opened her mouth to say something, only to stop herself, and then start again. "I… I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Like I don't have to worry about… all of _that_ … anymore. It's over. I don't need them anymore. I'm… my own person. Finally."

Asha smiled. "I'm glad, Phoebe. You deserve this."

Azurith reached out to nudge his rider on the shoulder, eyes bright green. Phoebe laughed, throwing her arm around his shoulders. The change in her was so obvious, it was a bit shocking—in the best possible way. This was the kind of shock they wanted to see.

"This guy is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I know the feeling," Asha laughed, looking over at Kalianth, who hummed in return.

"Um, excuse me?"

They all looked over to see none other than Niomi, the merchant from earlier. Well, this was a surprise.

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt," she said, giving a slight wince. "But I didn't want us to leave on unfortunate terms after that… debacle."

Phoebe's look of surprise immediately soured. "...Well, you're not interrupting."

Niomi smiled, shifting closer to stand in front of them. "I just wanted to say… what you did earlier today was brave. Admirable, even. Standing up for yourself, to your own parents… Not everyone can do that."

"Ah, well. It's not that big of a deal." Phoebe's cheeks tinted pink as she smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "I just… got sick of hearing them say all of that."

"It's still very admirable," Niomi insisted. "You are an excellent example for your little sister."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Oh… uh… thank you. That's…" Her gaze flickered down to the ground. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."

Niomi simply gave another smile. "I hope to see you around, Phoebe. I certainly would like to get to know you better. You too, Asha." She turned away. "Well, I should be off. I still need to find my horses. Thank you again for today!"

And with that, Niomi gave a short wave, and headed off. She was gone almost as quickly as she came. For a moment, they stood in silence. Phoebe's blush had progressively gotten darker and darker, almost as red as her hair now. Asha shifted towards her friend, smiling wryly. Phoebe noticed, and blushed even harder—if that was possible.

"...Shut up," she muttered, turning to face her dragon.

"I didn't say a word."

"Oh, shut it!"

**Author's Note:**

> A century has passed since the Red Star was pushed out of range of Pern, eliminating any chance of Thread in the future. Thanks to the discovery of AIVAS, technology has been advancing, albeit slowly. Even a hundred years later, telephones and radios have only been reintroduced. Thankfully, living conditions have improved, with running water and plumbing. Pern is slowly pulling itself out of the medieval stasis Thread had put her in. But some people do not appreciate that times are changing, and cling to the old ways.
> 
> Without Thread to fight, many Lord Holders believe that the dragonriders are useless and they should not have to pay tithe. As the weyrs continue their struggle to find a new purpose, tensions are rising. With Pern safe, Holds are expanding. More and more people are moving away from the stone walls that once gave them sanctuary. New villages and towns have sprouted. And as the nobility's power extends, they grow more and more threatened by the presence of dragons. But the holders aren't the only ones who are restless. Some riders believe they should be the ones ruling Pern. After all, they are the ones who saved the planet.
> 
> But there is only one thing every Pernese knows deep down inside: change is inevitable, for the better or for the worse.


End file.
